Convoluted
by dexday
Summary: Alex Vause: successful musician, wonderful mom as best friend, bunch of crazy friends and a girl by her side who happens to be the love of her life. Piper Chapman: successful student, not so wonderful parents, bunch of crazy friends and a girl by her side who happens to be the love of her life. Perfect? Well, yes... But everything is going to get a little bit complicated.
1. Chapter 1

– 1 –

Two blue lines. No matter how many times she had tried, the result had always turned out to be the same. Two god-damn-fucking lines. Thick and obvious even to a blind man. Glaring at her, shining mockingly, as if laughing right to her face. A fucking tiny blue evidence of her stupidity, her mindlessness… her inability to say 'no', even though she really wanted to oppose. Right at the very moment when she finally knew what she really wanted in life… THIS just had to fucking happen…

 _[Babe! I've got some big news! Meet me at Murphy's. Same time. Love you!]_

"I bet mine are bigger." She mumbled bitterly under her breath as she read the text for the millionth time within the last hour.

When the sheer panic subsided, she tried to look at her situation with cold eyes. She wished she had been able to grab a drink but that was out of question now... for obvious reasons. On the other hand, maybe it was a good thing. She should have a sober mind for such decisions, life changing decisions. And finally, after processing everything in her head, she had her mind settled. She had to be honest. She would go to Murphy's and spill all the truth. Of course she wouldn't be abandoned. She was loved – she was sure of that. It would be tough but she wouldn't be alone with this, right? All she had to do was just to go there and tell it all. She would be understood, right? _Right?_ Yes, of course she would. _Everything_ would be just fine.

"Now… Breathe, Piper." She whispered to herself as she tried hard to make the damn tears stop from falling.

XxXxX

Piper entered their favorite bar, being at least half an hour late. She needed the extra time to make herself look presentable. She didn't want people to notice that she had been crying her eyes out for the bigger part of the day. She especially didn't want her friends to ask too many questions and teary, red eyes would have certainly evoked them. But now she was finally here and the conversation she was about to have filled her veins with cold dread. She felt sick to her stomach and a little dizzy, and she wasn't sure whether it was caused by the nerves or her condition. Either way, she couldn't back out anymore. Even if she had an impulse to run back home, now she had to stay. Not because she didn't want to escape… but because Alex had noticed her entering the bar and was now heading her way. She looked amazing in her tight black jeans that hugged her body like second skin and the sexy, a little worn-out but still awesome leather jacket which covered the red shirt unbuttoned just the right way to show enough of her alluring cleavage.

Piper smiled for a second when she remembered that all that looks was just for her and that Alex didn't give a single fuck about the other onlookers. Alex was just for her… Was she? Piper's smile faltered when she realized that this fact could be soon the element of her past. Alex didn't notice the change of expression painting her girlfriend's face because right as it happened, she engulfed the blonde in a tight embrace, kissing her sweet lips with full of endearment.

"I started to think you were going to stand me up, you asshole." She laughed at her, not knowing how close Piper had been to doing just that.

Alex was obviously in joyful mood. In fact, she was radiating with good energy, buzzing with positive vibes. Something extreme must have happened that day. The tall brunette led Piper by the hand to a table at the back of the room packed with young people. The music was blasting around them as they walked. Various men and women shouted heir 'hellos' at them, some of them would pat Alex's arm and congratulate her on something. What? Piper was yet to find out.

Finally, after seemingly never-ending journey across the crowds, they were able to sit by the table. It was much quieter here. They were alone, and Piper was glad about that. She decided that the sooner she got it out of her chest, the better. Alex needed to know. Now. So when they sat down, very close to each other, Alex slipping her protective arm around Piper's shoulders, Piper found her courage to speak.

"Al, I must tell you something toni..." She stared but before she was able to continue, Alex stopped her with a quick kiss that completely silenced her mid-sentence.

"Me first." Alex was beaming. She was almost giddy. A very unusual sight when it came to Alex. The girl was rather cool and collected 99% of time… Guess now was the moment of that rare 1% to get its turn.

"Okay..." Piper was too stressed out to say anything else but because of all the excitement Alex failed to notice the clear distress painted on her girlfriend's beautiful features.

"We've got a fucking record deal!" The brunette announced so happily that it managed to lift Piper's mood up for a short second but as Alex continued to ramble about the meeting with the record label, one of the biggest and most important in the country, Piper's heart sunk. That was it. That was what Alex had always been fighting for, waiting for… working her ass off for. As she sat there and listened to Alex cheery laugher, how she told her about the girls' excitement and happiness… They would be there soon, they would celebrate...

The girls. Alex loved them. The band was her home, the girls were her sisters. They all deserved the success. After all those years of struggling… And Diane. She must have been so proud, of all of them. Piper was proud, too. And then she realized one thing…

"… and we're gonna travel all around! Pipes! This is what we have been dreaming of. Isn't it just great?" The brunette hugged her again tight and Piper wanted to savor the feeling of Alex's arms wrapped around her, of Alex's smell of vanilla and marzipan that she loved so much. She tried hard to memorize it all in the tiniest of details because she knew that what she was about to do next would end it all.

"Alex, wait. I need to tell you something." She wasn't smiling. In fact, she was fighting off the tears which stubbornly returned to her tired eyes. She couldn't stop Alex. She wouldn't let Alex stay, because that was what the brunette would have done if Piper told her the truth. She was sure of that. Piper couldn't do that to her. She fought too hard for this band.

"What's going on?" Alex finally registered that something was up and it scared her. "Pipes?" She asked quietly when the blonde wouldn't say anything for a while and as Alex noticed the tears, she just had to find out what was bothering the blonde. "What's wrong, baby?" She tried to gather her in her arms but Piper wouldn't let her which only left Alex in deeper confusion and worry.

"Remember when you asked me to choose between you and Larry last month?"

"Yeah." Alex's brows furrowed. Of course she remembered that very clearly. She had had enough of sneaking around. The whole emotional roller-coaster had been making her miserable. She had made Piper choose and Piper had made her decision. She had chosen her… so what was it all about?! "Why are we talking about this now?"

Piper's lips were trembling, as her whole body was. "I made a mistake." She whispered and her heart screamed at her to shut the fuck up. Yet, her brain took control for once in her whole life. She knew she had to go through with this no matter what.

"What do you mean?" Now Alex's voice was also shaky (another rare thing to happen to Alex).

"I choose him." And then she did it. She let her Alex go. She couldn't let her stay in NYC with her. Pushing her away was the only way to make sure Alex got what she had dreamed of. It literally hurt to say it out loud and Piper felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She was no longer able to stop them.

"What?" Yet, she was not the only one crying. Alex's eyes were suddenly flooded with the tears she was fighting off on her own.

Piper had expected anger, shouting, hell… even a storming fight. What she hadn't expected was the vision of Alex defeated. The vision of Alex speechless. The vision of Alex broken. It was killing Piper and right when she was about to panic, take it all back, laugh it off… do what-the-fuck-ever just to make the pain stop, Alex looked her straight in the eye. The brunette's own green orbs full of hurt.

"You have made a decision. Are you sure about it now?" She whispered and Piper nodded her head. "I need to hear you say it."

"Yes, I have made the decision." Piper answered as more tears came.

"So here what it means going forward. You may not come running to me again. Not with your problems. Not with your love." She chuckled darkly. "Not with your need or sadness. OR love. You may never come to me again. Ever." Alex whispered. It wasn't even an angry speech. Alex was done. For good.

"Al…" Piper tried to reach out to her but Alex pushed her away and stood up ready to leave.

She didn't manage to do so because right at that moment Nicky, Poussey, Stella and Pennsatucky walked up to their table, full of laughs and merit. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Piper's face swollen with tears.

"What the fuck?" It was Nicky, of course. She looked at the tall brunette and repeated the humble question to her but yet again she was met with agonizing silence.

"I need to get out of here." Was all that Alex managed to say before finally leaving the bar. Her band mates were just standing there and staring at them, totally dumbfounded. All the four girls turned their expecting gazes to Piper.

"If you didn't hear me the first time: what the actual fuck, Chapman?"

"Yeah, what the hell's going on with the two of you?" This time it was Stella.

"There's no 'the two of us' anymore." Piper mumbled through tears that just wouldn't quit.

"What? What happened?" Pennsatucky looked crashed. Same as the rest of the girls. They weren't just Alex's home. They became Piper's, too.

"I need to go. I'm sorry. I can't talk about it. I'm sorry." She apologized a handful of times more and ran out of the bar, too. Yet, in a totally different direction than Alex had gone.

"What the fuck has just happened here?" Nicky was lost for words. Probably for the first and last time in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

[Disclaimer: The song used in this chapter is not mine. It's "Familiar Taste of Poison" by Halestorm. It's a really cool band. ;)]

– 2 –

 _ **3 years later**_

Piper was sitting by the kitchen table writing down the grocery list. She had to have everything ready before Larry would be back from work. He was always irritated after spending long hours in the office. He hated his job. His aspirations to become a great journalist had gone down the drain. As it had turned out, he was far less talented than he had thought. That left him stuck working as a clerk in one of the municipal offices. Of course, he wasn't quite ready to totally give up just yet and would go to many interviews for editor's jobs but the more often he applied and was rejected, the more unhappy man he became. This in turn left a deep scar on his and Piper's relationship which had been built on shaky foundations to begin with.

Piper was trying to make it better. She really wanted them to work out. She was doing this for their daughter. Their sweet blond baby girl who was sleeping now in her tiny red-painted room. Yes. Red. The girl had chosen the color by herself. It had been a bit disturbing at the beginning but soon both Piper and Larry got used to it. They knew their little daughter could throw quite a tantrum when something wouldn't go her way (Larry would often joke that she had it after her mommy) so they let the red room stay. It wasn't such a big thing after all. At least not to them. The grandparents didn't take the choice so easily... But oh well...

As Piper was adding another milk or spinach on her list, she heard a familiar voice coming from the TV screen. She should have known better but she couldn't help herself and looked up from her piece of paper.

" _So, Vause, it's been quite a ride for you and your band for the last few years. Now you guys are releasing another album. Aren't you a little tired?"_

Piper heard Alex chuckle huskily from the screen and it made her throat tighten. Why the hell did she still react that way to the brunette? So what that Alex now looked better than ever? It was getting exhausting… Really…

" _I'm not tired one bit, Josh. Hell, I fuc… I love it!"_ Alex laughed from the screen again.

Piper changed the channel immediately. She didn't want to torture herself. It was enough for the day. She missed Alex terribly every single day and even though she tried hard to suppress her feelings, every time she saw the brunette on TV, ad, heard her song on the radio, Piper's heart would sink a bit more. There was a hollow wound deep down her soul and nothing could ever make it disappear.

The blonde sat there in silence, fighting back the tears and anger. She wasn't mad at her ex-girlfriend. Of course not. It was all Piper's doing after all. She was furious at life itself. At how it all had played out. Yet, Alex seemed to be happy. She was glowing each time Piper saw her somewhere. Several Grammy awards, full concert halls, millions of fans around the globe… and millions of dollars on her bank account. It all ensured Piper that her decision from way back when had been the right one. The only one she should have taken. Alex was happy. Alex did what she loved. Alex lived her dream. That was all Piper had ever wanted. And what about the blonde? Well, every time she looked at her daughter, at her happy smiling face, Piper was happy, too.

"I'm home." She heard Larry shout from the corridor when he entered their small apartment. He wasn't supposed to be back yet. Something must have happened and when she heard him stumble over his own shoes, she knew what had to have transpired. Larry was jobless again. Those were the moments when she wasn't happy. Not because of her husband losing the job but because of what kind of a man he would become each time life turned out to be demanding and stressful to him. Each time Larry would start to drink a little bit too much. Each time that would make him a little bit less nice, especially towards Piper.

"Larry, can you hush a bit? Laura's sleeping."

"Fuck off." He mumbled drunkenly.

"Nice." She whispered to herself. Piper was tired of this. More and more often she had enough but at the same time she was sorry for him. Life hadn't been easy for him either. "Come here." She lightly tugged on his arm, leading him slowly to the bedroom. "You look tired, honey." She knew better than to make him angry. He could be quite unpredictable while intoxicated. She'd learned that the hard way. Of course, her family didn't know anything about it. Piper learned from the best how to be quiet about certain things. Her mother taught her well that some home issues were supposed to stay that way – home issues. Piper suspected that only Polly knew a bit more than she led on.

Her best friend knew almost everything about Piper, "Alex issue" included, and even though back in the days she hadn't been the biggest fan of the brunette, as the time had passed by, she became even lesser fan of Larry. Yes, he was Polly's husband's best friend but more and more Polly grew worried about her own blond friend. Polly wasn't blind. She could see that Larry was becoming unstable. Even more so when he suffered from another failure in his life. She tried to address the issue several times but on each occasion Piper refused to talk about it truthfully so Polly let the topic drop… for now.

Piper managed to put Larry to bed before their daughter woke up. Thankfully, the man was wasted enough to fall asleep immediately.

"Mommy?" Piper almost jumped out of her own skin upon hearing Laura's tiny voice behind her back as she was closing the bedroom door quietly.

"He's OK, honey. Just tired. He'll probably join us for dinner later."

"Oh, okay…" The girl's face lightened up.

"C'mon sweet pie, you're gonna help mommy with the cooking tonight." Piper smiled at her little precious thing. "But first we gotta go shopping." She looked down at her baby girl. Yes, she was happy with her baby girl.

XxXxX

 _ **At the same time somewhere in LA**_

Alex and the girls got off the studio's stage after their performance and the interview. The brunette was packing her electric guitar into the case when a head full of curly hair popped through the door of Alex's dressing room.

"Yo, Vause! Drinks at Bodnar's in an hour?"

"Sure, Nicky." Alex smiled at her best friend.

"You OK?" Everybody in the band knew that Alex was only smiling brightly in front of the cameras. On the daily basis, the brunette was far from the sparkling joyful persona that she presented to her fans. Long ago Red, their manager, had explained to them what an image was. That they all should care about it because a good happy image would make them all good money, which in turn would make them all real happy. That's what Red had said and Alex complied but happy was far from how she still felt. You could say that after all those years she was OK. Fine even. She did make a lot of money and she did make a lot of people happy, her mom and her band mates included, so it was good enough for her, too. Thanks to all of that she was… fine.

Less and less often her mind would drift to a certain blonde that had broken her heart. No, she hadn't broken it – she had shattered it to pieces so tiny that one would have to use a fucking microscope to be able to find any. Yet, slowly, Alex had learned to be… fine.

She changed the women every night, which had earned her the opinion of an extreme womanizer and made her a topic of many jokes. She didn't mind it one bit. She refused to get herself attached to anyone ever again. She watched as Nicky fell in love with a girl named Lorna and she was happy for her. She watched Poussey going crazy about Soso. And she was happy for her, too. Even Pennsatucky found "the one." Alex was kinda surprised since her friend had been adamant at staying single till the rest of her days, but Alex was happy for her as well. Stella had found her Jessica. And yet again, Alex was happy for her friend. The only person Alex was unable to be happy about was herself. Piper had left her hollow. Empty. A shell. A ghost with a smiley face for the camera.

XxXxX

 _ **1 year later**_

Piper was sitting on a couch with Polly right next to her. They hadn't seen each other for ages since the brunette was super busy with her work. Polly had started a small line of natural cosmetics and she was fighting to make them more popular. And actually her efforts were rewarded with a constant flow of orders for her products. She once asked Piper if she wanted to join her. She sure could use a partner because as the company continued to grow, there was more and more work and Polly didn't really trust anyone else to do the job yet. She offered this to Piper several times and even though she could see bright interest shining in the blonde's eyes, each and every time she declined. Polly suspected that her friend was hesitant to accept the job because of Larry. He was the one who was completely opposed to almost everything that his wife had ever came up with. It irritated Polly beyond any means but there was nothing she could do. She tried talking to Piper about Larry but each conversation left them tired and upset. As the time passed by, the brunette detested the man more and more. Once she even caught herself thinking that Piper would have been better off with Alex… But as soon as that thought came to her mind, she dismissed it, laughing at herself... On the other hand, anyone would be better than Larry. That stupid prick didn't respect Piper. Polly used to like him but now, if she could, she would chop his head off.

Piper loved being a mom but the fact the Larry wouldn't like her to come back to work made Piper extremely uncomfortable. They had had several arguments over this, some of them were pure thunderstorms, yet Larry never backed off. This whole situation made the cracks in their marriage grow wider but Piper was persistent to make their relationship work, no matter what.

And that left her in the position she was at now. For the time being she refused to be worried about it. Polly was there, wine was there, good food was there so… They finally managed to organize their perfect girl night. Larry actually stayed with Laura that night. Maybe he had been trying to be extra nice after the latest argument but Piper temporarily couldn't give a single fuck about that. She needed to let her hair down for just one night and the perspective of spending her time with Polly made her feel happy. It was almost as if they were back in college.

The brunette found the channel which was supposed to broadcast The Oscar Gala. Both of them were big fans of the cinema and it had been ages since they watched the ceremony together. It was fun to make bets over who would win this time. Hell yes, Piper did miss Polly and her goofy sense of humor.

They were in the middle of their second bottle of dry white wine when Nicole Kidman started to announce the nominees for The Academy Award for Best Original Song. When Alex's name was pronounced Piper glanced at the screen and there she was. Her raven hair looked magnificent. Her make-up was spotless and she seemed to be glowing. She looked happy and excited.

"You OK?" Polly asked tentatively. "Let me change the channel maybe…" She grabbed the remote but Piper stopped her before she could use it.

"Shhh…" Piper was too far gone to care. She was a little more than tipsy. Her eyesight was glued to the screen. She had always avoided watching Alex's videos and performances but this time she couldn't help herself. Maybe it was because of the alcohol… or her growing unhappiness, but she needed to see the brunette even just for a minute and Polly just let her. The brunette had noticed months before that Piper wasn't happy. That she had problems with Larry, who by the way, as the time had passed by, turned out to be a major asshole. Polly actually regretted ever being against Alex. Now, she could finally see that the only person Piper had ever truly loved was her ex-girlfriend but it was also too late to change anything so Polly just bit her tongue. What difference would it make if she told the blonde what she really thought about Alex now? It would only make the matters worse.

Alex stepped onto the stage. She looked fabulous and seemed to be honestly surprised to be awarded with an Oscar for her latest song dedicated to one of the movies. Piper watched in pure awe as the brunette gave her short speech and she wished she could just hug her, tell her how much she was proud of her, how much she deserved all of that. Funny thing was that Piper hadn't even heard the song itself. She truly was very specific at avoiding everything and anything that was connected with Alex (which wasn't easy because the brunette's records were smash hits and she was everywhere: on the radio, on TV… you name it, she was there).

Soon Alex was gone from the stage and Piper felt a tingling feeling of longing. She longed to see the brunette again, even for just a second. To see her gleaming eyes, her bright toothy grin. And soon enough she was granted another glimpse at her ex-girlfriend. Alex was about to perform with her band.

"We can change the channel if you want…" Polly tried again. She knew that Piper refused to see Alex perform and she didn't want to upset her friend.

"Don't you dare." Was all that Piper could whisper drunkly. She didn't even bother to look at her friend. Her eyes were glued to the screen as if she had no control over them. She sipped her wine in order to numb herself a bit more.

The music started to play and it sent shivers all over Piper's body. Those sounds were really magnetic, heavy, so good… So Alex. The blonde just sat watching in amazement. Alex was standing there with her guitar. She wasn't playing it. Just singing with her eyes closed. She started to play her instrument and opened her eyes only when she got to the chorus.

 _I breathe you in again just to feel you_

 _Underneath my skin, holding on to_

 _The sweet escape is always laced with a familiar taste of poison_

Piper gasped upon hearing the lyrics. She felt them cutting through her protective shield and she couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes.

 _I tell myself that you're no good for me_

 _I wish you well, but desire never leaves_

 _I could fight this till the end_

 _But maybe I don't want to win_

When she looked at the screen again she could see that Alex's eyes were also moist. The brunette was moved. She did all she could to focus on her guitar and just finish the performance. She had never sang the song live. It was so much easier to record it than to present it to the world herself…

"Fuck." Polly whispered and it made Piper turn her attention to her friend. She looked at her confused, demanding a further explanation and the short brunette just smiled apologetically.

"What?" Piper insisted.

"I don't think she's thinking about the fucking movie, do you?"

"I don't know what you mean." Piper played it down.

"Sure… 'Cause Alex would cry on-stage because of some sappy film. Even I know that's bullshit." Polly stated and Piper knew she was right. It didn't make her feel any better, though.

XxXxX

After a lengthy standing ovation, the band was finally able to get off the stage. Alex was quickly walking down narrow stairs leading to the backstage. She was pushing herself hard not to run. She needed to get away from them all and take a breath. Why the hell did she even record that fucking song? Should've let it go. It wasn't supposed to be that big and now suddenly everybody wanted to listen to it. "Fuck." She cursed quietly as she felt the anger rising and she knew she had to calm down. Fast. Soon she would be surrounded by people and she had to be presentable. She was glad that those stupid stairs were so abnormally high. At least she had a few seconds to compose herself before facing another round of camera flashes and people eager to get to know her.

"That thing was marvelous!" She heard a strong Russian accent on her right just as she walked into a huge backstage room which was full of people. Red hugged each of the girls and additionally ruffled Nicky's crazy hair, a gesture which made the lion-haired woman cringe her face in annoyance but Red only laughed. "Beautiful performance, ladies. You made your manager truly proud." She beamed at them.

Alex was silently trying to even out her breath. She grabbed a glass of wine from one of the passing by waiters. She needed something way stronger to calm her nerves down but in that classy environment wine had to suffice. Later, at the after party, she would have a chance to… relax a bit more. Stella shot her a worried look but Alex pretended nonchalance as she lifted her glass as if in a toast. Unfortunately, all that it earned her was a lifted eyebrow which clearly indicated that the shorter brunette wasn't buying her bullshit. Their staring contest was interrupted (to Alex's relief) by the sound of a squealing Lorna who was jumping all over Nicky with excitement.

"I know, babe, I rock." Nicky smugly announced with a confident smirk but the girl totally ignored her and continued to jump like an overexcited kid.

"Look! I've got a selfie with Angelina Jolie!" Lorna couldn't contain her pure joy and Nicky's smile dropped. Everybody erupted in laughter and only then did Lorna realize that something was weird. "Oh shit… Don't tell me you've performed already." She said with big panicky eyes making Poussey cry with laughter.

"You're joking, right?" Nicky deadpanned.

"Awww… Honey…" Lorna pusher herself into her arms. "Don't be mad. I got distracted." She nibbled her ear and everybody decided to just leave them alone and started to slowly move back to the main theater and get back to their seats. Poussey's and Pennsatucky's partners were waiting for them. Red's husband also was with them and of course Alex's mother came all the way from NYC just to see The Gang on the big stage. She had been telling them from the very beginning that they would win but they just laughed her off. Now she was right… And she won a big bottle of the most expensive tequila since she had made a bet with Alex over the Oscar's results.

"I hope you're hiding that big fat bottle of fine alcohol somewhere here, hon." Her mother laughed into her hair as she hugged her tight and Alex hugged her back with equal force. "I swear I could use something stronger here. That wine is not really my thing."

"Thought so, mom." Alex laughed back. "But I'm afraid we'll have to endure this magnificent gala for a while longer. Red would kill me if we just slipped away unnoticed. I'm supposed to show up later for the interviews…ugh…" Alex made a face of a fussy baby.

"Don't worry, kid. It'll soon be over." Diane smiled warmly at her daughter. She could feel that something was not entirely OK with her child, a fact that Alex was trying to hide beneath the mask of smugness and humor, but a mother knows her child, always. "You okay?" She asked gently.

"Of course." Alex tensed. She knew it was difficult to fool Diane Vause. She smiled at her mom. "We're going to a party afterwards. You're my date." She grinned. She truly loved going out with that woman.

"You bet I am." She hugged her again. "And really don't worry, Al. It _will_ be over one day." Alex tried to deny whatever her mother suggested but Diane held up her hand stopping her. "I mean it. I've been there, done that."

"I know." Alex whispered defeated.

Suddenly, they were engulfed in a huge group hug. The other girls from the band joined them. Probably the wine had started doing its magic because all of them were giggling, joking and pushing each other playfully. Even Alex had to laugh at that. She adored her friends, her band mates, her companions. In the end, they were the ones who always managed to brighten her day. Diane winked at her as she hugged Poussey. Yep. She will be better one day. Thanks to this crazy crowd.

XxXxX

Piper entered her apartment quietly. She didn't want to wake her family up. It was almost 4 am and their small flat was dark and quiet. When she lit up a small lamp, she could see that her husband and daughter must have had some fun during the day and she smiled. There were Laura's toys all over the living room floor… and tones of dirty dishes in the sink. She would deal with them after she got some sleep.

She went to check up on her daughter. The little girl was laying in her bed, a stuffed Godzilla tucked under one of her small arms.

"Thank God, she doesn't like all that pink bullshit." Piper chuckled to herself but stopped instantly when she realized that she also thought that Alex would love it, Laura being a little rebel from the get go. Her heart sunk. She really hoped that time would heal the wounds but as that evening had proven… Nothing of that old proverb was true. Yes, she did not cry herself to sleep almost each night anymore. No, she did not smell one of Alex's t-shirts anymore. But yes, her heart still was hollow as if its crucial part was gone and no, she couldn't look at the brunette without a strong feeling of longing growing inside her. That's exactly why she had been avoiding everything that was connected with her ex-girlfriend. She couldn't look at her, listen to her, read about her, yet it was difficult not to know what was going on with her because she was literally everywhere and it made Piper happy and frustrated at the same time. Even Larry would put her music on from time to time and she tried to tune herself out. But then he would comment that Alex must be such an asshole because since she had made a career, she completely forgot about her old friends. None of the girls from the band had ever contacted Piper. She was dead to them and Larry thought that all of them had to be fucking egotistic buffoons.

Once she even tried to defend the girls, and Alex especially, but all it resulted in was a huge fight and made Larry ask uncomfortable questions. So Piper never mentioned them again. Never said another thing. She couldn't risk Larry figuring their past out because only God knew what he would do. Knowing his hot-blooded character, he could even hurt Piper if he got really mad… And he would be pissed beyond measure. He would divorce her for sure… "If I were still alive." She joked humorlessly.

She took another look at her baby girl. She was growing so fast. No, she had never regretted having her. Her daughter was the only source of happiness for Piper. Her little friend, companion. She could pull it through as long as the little blonde was by her side.

XxXxX

 _ **2 years later**_

Piper was sitting in front of a big mirror in her bedroom. She was applying her make-up carefully. She had another hour to spare and she was glad about that because covering the black eye well would need all that time. She wasn't even angry anymore. She felt more like… abandoned. She was happy that Laura had left for the school camp and didn't have to be a witness to her yet another struggle to cover up her face. Larry was gone for the night, too. He had left right after hitting her, saying that he had had enough of her and her constant scowled face. But how to make herself look happy when her husband had forced her to move all the way to L-fucking-A where she hardly knew anyone except her new boss at the lovely bookstore where she had managed to find employment after all those years of being a stay-at-home mom. Larry hadn't been happy about that either, by the way… a fact that he hadn't forgotten to show Piper.

 _Why the fuck are you with him, Pipe?_ \- Polly's question kept ringing in her head. In fact today it was louder than ever before. "Because he's Laura's father. I can't take her father away from her." Piper reminded herself but today she didn't sound convincing even to herself. What kind of a father would beat the mother of his child? Slowly, Piper was gathering the courage to put an end to all of this… She just didn't have the guts yet. She was alone in Los Angeles. She had no contacts. Her job was rather a distraction than a true source of income. LA was an expensive place to live…

After making sure that her face was presentable again, Piper went to the kitchen to grab some coffee and watch the morning news on TV. That was a little habit of hers now. She choked on her drink when she heard the news reporter's voice:

 _Alex Vause's mother was rushed to a NYC hospital last night. Unfortunately, it's been announced this morning that the woman has passed away due to an aneurysm. The band canceled the rest of their American tour. They were promoting their latest smash hit album…_

Piper turned off the TV. She couldn't look at the pictures taken by the paparazzi when the brunette was leaving the hospital. Alex looked lost on them. Her face was white as a sheet, her eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses and she was trying to ignore the photographers while Nicky looked pissed beyond herself. Piper was glad that the lion-haired girl was with her.

The blonde sat there in her living room motionless. Her make-up was gone before she even realized that she had been crying. Diane was gone. Piper couldn't believe it. She was sobbing now. She was crying for the women that she loved, both of them. The one already gone and the other surely devastated. That's how Larry found her – on the couch, sitting alone in tears and broken even more than she was willing to realize.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered for the millionth time as he lied his head on her lap. He was clueless but Piper forgave him. Again. For the hit. For being clueless or maybe because of it.

XxXxX

Alex was sitting on the couch in her mother's house in New York City. Nicky was sitting across from her with Lorna on her side. Pennsatucky and Poussey were already in beds but Stella still hung around. She was trying to prepare something to eat for the four of them. She knew no one would touch the food but she had to keep herself busy in order not to break down… again. Diane had been a mother to all of them. "The Queen" of their little family as she had proudly proclaimed herself one day.

Stella's hands were shaking as she continued to squeeze the lemons to make some lemonade.

"Fuck it." She cursed under her nose after yet another failed attempt at squeezing the fruit successfully and she turned to the fridge to get the beers instead. She was sure there would be some. Diane had always had some. Stella's lower lip trembled when she thought about the woman but after a minute she was able to collect herself. Right as she was about to get the beers, she felt her mobile buzz in her back pocket, surprising her since it was quite late already and most of their friends had paid they condolences by then. When she looked at the phone screen, her surprise turned into pure astonishment. "Piper?" She whispered to herself.

Piper: [I know I'm the very last person you want to talk to right now but I need to know. How is she?]

For a moment Stella didn't know whether she should reply at all. She was the only person in the band who had been too lazy to change her number and probably that's why Piper managed to reach her. She doubted that the blonde would even try to call Alex but she probably tried to text the others. After another few minutes of Stella's hesitation, there came another text.

Piper: [Stella, I'm begging you. Tell me. Your number's the only that I know is still working.]

Stella thought for a while before typing down her response.

Stella: [Piper, it's been a while, hasn't it? As you can easily guess, Alex is far from being OK but we got her. We'll make sure she's safe.]

Piper: [Thank you. I'm so, so, so sorry. For all of it.]

Stella wasn't sure whether Piper meant only Diane… or much more.

"Who's that?" Nicky's voice shaken Stella up from her thoughts. "It's her, isn't it?"

Nicky was probably the second wounded hardest after Piper had bailed on them. That's exactly how Nicky felt about the whole situation. Piper not only demolished Alex, she had also damaged the rest of them. They all had trusted her. Nicky the most of them and the lion-haired woman seemed to be still mad at the blonde. It had been Nicky's idea to change the mobile numbers first of all.

When Stella didn't say anything Nicky just stared at her demandingly.

"She's hurting, too, you know." Stella started getting ready to face Nicky's wrath but was surprised to find her friend calming down, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I know." She said instead of shouting. "Tell her I said 'hi' but tell her also not to come to the funeral. Alex is in a bad shape as it is. She shouldn't see Piper there." At that she left the kitchen with a handful of beers.


	3. Chapter 3

– 3 –

 _ **1 year later…**_

Piper was filling the shelves with the new delivery of books when she heard the door bell ring, announcing another customer.

"Sarah, could you come to the counter, please?" Piper called out to her young colleague but the girl didn't respond. "Sarah?" Still no answer. Piper was sure the annoying punk girl was out back smoking a cigarette instead of doing her job. The blonde would finally have to complain to their boss about it. She had enough of doing the job for the girl. She was thinking of what she would later say to the manager as she stared to walk back to the front of the little vintage bookstore where she had been working for over two years now.

She was stopped in her tracks when she saw a tall raven-haired woman in an expensive-looking black leather jacket. The person was standing with her back towards Piper, examining one of the bookshelves. Piper's heart forgot how to beat for a second because she knew who loved to wear such jackets.

"It can't be…" She whispered to herself. "How can I help you?" She asked confidently because it would be stupid to believe that Alex would stumble upon her little bookshop.

"Do you happen to have Dostoevsky's…?" Alex lost her voice when she turned around to face the shop keeper.

"Alex?"

"Piper?"

"What are you doing here?" They both asked at the same time. And then there was nothing but silence. A long one. And then Alex's lips quivered, forming a little smile but she still refused to say anything. She just stared in disbelief. Before she realized it, she was grinning like a fool despite herself and it made Piper relax a bit. There won't be a World War 3 after all…

"I'll be damned… Piper fucking Chapman." Alex said as she couldn't believe that her girlfriend… her EX-girlfriend was standing before her, flesh and bone.

"I can get my workmate to…" Piper trailed off… she still wasn't sure about that third world war… "I mean… If I can find her." She blurted out before she was able to stop herself and Alex chuckled. God, how Piper had missed that sound. That husky, rough, deep chuckle. It had always made her knees weak back in the days. Still did. She smiled at Alex, her cheeks slightly rosy. "I'm sorry. I tend to ramble when I'm nervous."

"I know." Alex simply stated and Piper wasn't sure how to feel about that. She did know her. Better than anyone else. Still probably.

"What are you looking for?" Piper started again.

"I was looking for 'The Idiot' by Dostoevsky. Somebody's recommended me this store so…" Actually, Alex was looking for 'The Double' but she couldn't help herself. The only thing she wasn't sure of was who was the bigger idiot in the store now. Piper caught on the innuendo immediately.

"We might have a copy of that in here." The blonde said carefully, still not being sure where they were standing but when she heard Alex laugh, she chuckled a bit herself looking Alex in the eye. God, how she loved those green pools.

"How are you?" The brunette asked.

"OK. You?"

"OK." Alex said with a sad smile. They both knew they were bullshitting each other. Piper knew Alex couldn't be fine after what had happened to Diane. It was too early. Alex on the other hand couldn't help but notice that the blonde was now much slimmer than she had ever remembered, her face looked tired and there were dark circles under her eyes. Something was off and Alex was worried even though she shouldn't feel that way. In fact, she should stay away from Piper. "Maybe we could grab a coffee?" She heard herself asking. She couldn't help herself. Piper was her magnet. Always had been. And now that all the anger was gone, she really was curious about the blonde's life. Why was she in LA? Was she happy?

"Now?"

"I mean… if you can find that co-worker of yours." Alex smiled and as if on a cue the green-haired girl appeared from the back of the store.

"I'm sorry, Piper. I was just…" She stopped, mouth gaping, when she realized who was their client of the day. "Oh… God…"

"Sarah?" Piper waved her hand in front of the girl's face. "Are you OK?"

"Are you Alex Vause?" Sarah ignored Piper completely and went to shake the brunette's hand. "Of course you are! I love your band." The girl squealed and Piper just rolled her eyes making Alex laugh a bit.

"Thank you." She answered the girl calmly. She was used to such reactions by now. "Do you want a selfie or something?" She asked, following her usual drill with the fans, not forgetting about a bright smile, of course.

"You wouldn't mind?"

"No problem. Just go ahead."

After all the formalities were done, Alex asked Sarah about the book she had previously asked Piper about and the blonde told her to look for it in their storage because it sure wasn't in the main store.

"She's not gonna find it, is she?" Alex finally laughed when the girl was gone.

"Nope." Piper sniggered "But it will take her a while to realize it."

"Thought so." Alex chuckled and Piper couldn't help feeling a shiver running down her spine. She was so happy to see the brunette. She could hardly believe it was all true.

"About that coffee…" Right when Alex started the topic again, the door to the bookshop opened with a loud thud and a small resolute girl entered.

"Hi, mommy! Hi, Alex!" She chipped as she passed the two women. Then, as if she was struck by some lightening she took a step back and looked in disbelief at Alex. "Alex Vause?" The girl stuttered. The first greeting must have been on a pure reflex. Laura was actually a huge fan of The Gang. Her eyes were getting wider by the second and she kept starring at the brunette.

"Mommy?" Alex on the other hand was starring at the blonde. Confusion was painted all over the singer's face. Then, before Piper was able to react properly, Alex knelt down, leveling herself with the girl. "Yup, buddy. I'm Alex. Nice to meet you." She shook her little hand. "What's your name?" The brunette beamed at her.

"Laura Bloom." The resolute girl stated confidently and Alex chuckled at her boldness.

"How old are you, Laura Bloom?" Alex asked but she looked at Piper while she posed the question and the blonde's expression was pure panic.

"Why don't you go and find Sara, hon?" Piper said before Laura could answer.

"Mommy…" The little girl looked pleadingly at her mother. She was hoping to spend a little more time with her idol.

"Go on. Alex will be here for a while. Don't worry." Laura's mood lightened up and she was smiling again although she didn't stop herself from grumbling a bit as she left the room slowly, dragging her feet as much as she could. She wanted to make sure that her mother understood that she wasn't happy about this whole situation. Alex smiled at it. The little girl had something after Piper, all right.

When Laura was finally gone, Alex turned her full attention back to Piper. Her sight was intense. "Why didn't you tell me?" Was the only question that she was dying to address her ex-girlfriend with. They both were aware that Alex knew then. She figured it out in a flash.

"Al…"

But Alex stood there expectantly. Her eyes never leaving Piper's as if she was looking for something there. "Are you happy?" She finally asked. The brunette realized that she really was dying to know that but Piper was lost for words. No, she wasn't fucking happy. She was miserable, her life was a god damn hell and she was tired, scared and tired and… She had missed Alex more than anything. But that she couldn't say. She had no right to burden her with her own problems. _You may never come to me again. Ever._ That one sentence was still ringing in Piper's head. That one statement had stopped her before from reaching out to Alex. Piper's life was all Piper's doing. Now she had to face the consequences and fight her demons on her own.

"Are you?" Piper tried to maneuver out of it and Alex just smiled sadly. She knew Piper's game. She still could read the blonde like an open book. Something was not entirely right and Alex just stood there staring at her ex-girlfriend, making her feel uncomfortable under that watchful gaze. Piper knew that more questions would come and she didn't want to hear them. She released the breath she had been holding when she heard Laura coming back to the store.

"Mom, Sarah's said she's got no time for me. She's looking for 'The idiot', she said. I told her we have one at home but she hushed me away. She wasn't particularly nice to me, either." The girl huffed and both Piper and Alex burst out laughing at that. The tension seemed to evaporate… for now. "What?" Laura looked at them perplexed. She didn't get the joke apparently.

"It's nothing, kiddo." Alex smiled down at her and ruffled her blonde locks.

"Oh, and I'm almost 7. My birthday is coming up next week." Laura was proud to announce.

"That much I've figured." The brunette answered looking intensely into Piper's eyes.

XxXxX

"And she's got a big kid?" Nicky's brows went all the way up to her hairline.

"And she's here in LA?" Poussey's brows did exactly the same.

"Shit if that's not fate at its purest." Laughed Pennsatucky.

"Guys… Stop it. It was just pure coincidence." Alex stated calmly but truth to be told something had came back to life in her upon seeing the blonde. Something that Alex had long forgotten how to feel. Alex was excited. Alive. Nervous… Piper stirred something in her. She still had the ability to do just that. With one glance. One smile. God, it was so fucking good to see her again, even though she seemed much, much slimmer than Alex remembered. And those dark circles under her gorgeous blue eyes… Something just wasn't right and it worried the brunette.

"Are you going to see her again?" Poussey asked.

"AND she's got a big KID?" Yep. Nicky was stuck on that. Her brain was working super fast and Alex could see the wheels inside her head turning. "How old?" Nicky might be the crazy one but she's not stupid. She had been wondering all those years what had made Piper bolt right at the moment when they had it all figured out.

Instead of answering Alex just stared at her. Discomfort was painting her face at it full blast. She herself didn't really know what to think about it all, how to react.

"HOLLY FUCK." Yep. Those were all the girls at once. And then there was silence. The info needed to sink in.

"Damn…" Poussey broke it first and all of them just nodded their heads in agreement.

"I don't know if I'm gonna see her. I needed to get away from the store. The fucking paparazzi figured out where I was. I didn't even get her number or anything and we're leaving tonight for Miami so…"

Stella cleared her throat and everybody looked at her in surprise.

"I might have her number." She stated as she tried to avoid Alex's eyes.

"What? How come?" The brunette asked and Nicky looked the other way.

"I still have my old number. She texted me when Diane died." Stella said quietly.

"And you didn't tell me about it because…?" Alex was getting agitated. Piper did reach out to her but nobody was bothered to let her know about that. Fuck.

"Because I told her not to." It was Nicky's turn to speak up. "Listen, man… You were not in a good shape. I was worried that she would fuck with your brain even more. And… I was still mad at her. I'm sorry." Nicky finished her mini-speech and Alex was speechless.

"OK." She managed to stutter.

"OK?" Nicky wasn't sure whether her friend was really fine with that or was she silently plotting how to kill her and hide the body.

"Yep." Alex stated. "Give me her number." She said turning back to Stella and the shorter brunette grinned. They all kinda missed the funny blond pain in the ass.

XxXxX

Alex: [I was serious about that coffee.]

Piper grinned upon reading the text. The number was unknown but she knew immediately who was the author of that particular statement.

Piper: [OK.]

Alex: [Just OK? And a dot after a single 'OK'? Really?]

Piper: [Yep. PS 'OK' can be a full sentence, hence - a dot.]

Alex was also grinning when she received Piper's reply. The old banter was back. Nicky just glared at her.

"Man, be careful, OK?" She didn't want her friend to get hurt again.

"OK. With a dot." Alex chuckled.

"What?" Nicky was confused. The hell was wrong with the brunette lately? But Alex didn't bother to answer her. She was too busy texting.

Piper: [Tomorrow?]

"I know I might be repeating myself here but… One little issue here: She's fucking married." Nicky stated bluntly before joining the rest of the girls and leaving Alex alone with her phone and her thoughts. Of course she knew Piper was married. Ugh… She didn't want to date her, she wanted to try to be friends… Right?

Alex: [Can't. I'm in Florida. Text you when I'm back?]

Piper: [OK.]

Alex: [Just OK? Dot?]

Piper: [Yep.]

Alex smiled. She felt warm inside. Careful about everything but it was kinda good to have the blonde back in her life, even if their roles were now different.

XxXxX

It'd been 3 weeks before Alex was back in LA. First, the band was busy with a small tour in Florida. Then, they had to record an extra song for their single and do some acoustic versions of some of the old pieces. Then, they had several interviews in radios here and there… AND now finally Alex found herself having full four days of freedom before they played another gig in San Francisco. Thank God, at least this time they didn't have to travel so much.

For now she was just happy to be back in LA. The city had become her home after her mom had passed away. Alex figured she needed a fresh start and she always loved nice beaches and sunny weather so… And now Piper was here. Of all the places Larry could have taken her to, he chose fucking LA. She smiled under her nose. She was sitting in a nice, very expensive café. It's not that she had suddenly turned into some uptight rich lady… It's just that such places offered her some privacy and sometimes she really missed being anonymous. At least here the staff pretended not to recognize her. She loved her fans but from time to time she just wanted to be left alone. Have some space. Right now she was just hoping to enjoy her delicious coffee. Simple pleasures.

She took out her phone. She had been wondering about texting Piper for a while now and she didn't know what was stopping her. Was she afraid that after all she won't be able to keep a safe distance from the blonde? Maybe… But her ex-girlfriend seemed different now. Something was not entirely right and Alex could see that in her tense body language. In the way she reacted when she saw that Larry was calling her. Laura's face was also showing concern at that particular moment and it made Alex only more curious of what was going on.

Alex: [So… I've found this amazing place with the best coffee you can only imagine. Me. You. Dark liquid. This evening?]

She pushed the send button before she could chicken out and delete the message. She turned back to her book, trying to numb her overworking mind as she waited for a response… which didn't come within the next half an hour. Nor did it come after another hour. This got Alex unnerved and she started to wonder whether Piper really wanted to have anything to do with her. It had been a while since they texted last. Maybe the blonde was just trying to be polite? This thought upset the brunette more than she was willing to admit and she felt like a fucking idiot.

"Whatever…" She whispered to herself and started to gather her things to get home… Or rather the hotel. It might sound weird but Alex, despite being awfully rich now, did not own a house nor a flat. She still continued to spend her nights in a lavish hotel suite of her favorite hotel. Somehow she didn't feel the need to put roots down in any place. Life was an adventure, right? Maybe she'd like to live in Paris next month. Who would've stopped her?

She was already on her way to the hotel when she heard her mobile buzzing once and then after a while a second time. Two new messages. Alex was impatient to read them but decided to actually get to the hotel's parking lot before trying to find her phone in her huge bag. Even though she drove a beautiful red beast, Porsche 911, she was rather a safe driver… Speeding only on highways at night, it actually relaxed her when she was unable to fall asleep.

After another 15 minutes Alex finally got to the hotel. She waved at the receptionist who waved back with a smile. Everybody knew her here by now. She was an often guest. What the staff had managed to learn about her was the fact that Alex was actually a very humble and quiet person. Yes, she did have quite many lady visitors, but there were never big and loud parties going on. The brunette preferred to spend her free days composing new songs – and that's why her hotel suite was soundproof, not because some wild crazy partying, as some of the tabloids suggested.

When she entered the elevator Alex started searching for her mobile. "Damn, I need to sort my stuff out…" She murmured annoyed at her own messiness. After a little bit of more fumbling she finally grabbed the little device.

Piper: [I'm sorry, I can't.]

Alex's brows furrowed but she continued to read the second message which thankfully was longer. For a second there the brunette felt completely brushed off.

Piper: [Laura's caught a little cold. Nothing too terrible but she's fussy. I must stay home with her.]

"Where's your fucking Larry?" She whispered… and then scolded herself for being an asshole. Of course every mother would rather be with their child if he or she were ill. What irritated Alex was the fact that she was unable to see the blonde and what actually irritated her even more was the fact that she was irritated in the first place. She sat heavily on her beautiful leather sofa. It was so quiet that she heard ringing in her ears. After a few minutes of contemplating she started texting again.

Alex: [Do you need anything? I could come over.]

She pushed the sent button and regretted her message immediately. Of course she couldn't come over. Larry was there and Alex would hate to face the guy. Besides it being totally weird both for her and Piper, the brunette seriously detested the little short man. Somehow, she could never see why her ex-girlfriend ever dated him. Why she actually married him was beyond Alex. Boring, annoying, self-righteous asshole with high aspirations but little brain. "I bet his prick is little, too." She laughed to herself and then wanted to kick herself for such thinking. "What the fuck is wrong with me? Ugh…"

Alex: [I mean if you want me to. We can meet some other day, too.]

"Yeah… like I can sound any more pathetic… and needy, Jeez…" Alex's self pitying was stopped by another sound of an incoming message and the brunette felt both nervous and excited to read it.

Piper: [Does that super café have take-out? :)] Alex laughed.

Alex: [I think so. I'll bring bagels, too.]

Piper: [OK.]

Alex: [OK.]

Alex smiled, feeling relief washing over her body. She really wanted to talk to Piper. See if her gut feeling was wrong about something being not right with her or maybe there was something to it. But most of all, she was curious about her life. She tried not to think about their past, about why Piper made such decisions in her life and not others. Why she had never told her that she had been pregnant. Alex knew that that pregnancy must have been a total surprise to the blonde as well. After meeting her ex-girlfriend, the brunette was thinking hard about those old times, she was calculating in her head, trying to establish the timings and each and every time she did that all of her analyzing led to one conclusion. Piper must have got knocked up when she was still maneuvering between Larry and Alex herself, not after the blonde had told her she had chosen to be with her. It was all fucked up. The only thing she didn't understand was why Piper hadn't told her about the whole thing. Sure, Alex would have been mad… But truth to be told she would have understood. She would have helped her. She loved her. More than anyone and anything in the whole fucking world.

"Fuck it, let's grab that coffee." She jumped to her feet, got her car keys and left her hotel suite.

XxXxX

Actually, Alex grabbed much more than just coffee. Within an hour she had managed to arrange everything she wanted and was now standing in front of Piper's apartment block, food bag and a big fluffy teddy bear in tow. The neighborhood where the blonde lived looked pretty normal. Nothing too fancy but fairly pleasant… Yet, Alex's red Porsche definitely did stand out in the street.

She checked the apartment number one more time on her cell before heading to the door. Alex was surprised to find it actually unlocked and it looked like the intercom didn't work so she decided to simply climb the stairs and knock directly on Piper's door. She didn't know what to expect. She didn't ask Piper if Larry was home because she didn't want to sound weird. If she and the blonde were to become friends again, Alex would have to learn how to deal with Piper's husband. The term made the brunette cringe.

"Off we go…" She whispered right before knocking lightly on the green door which opened almost right away but instead seeing Piper, Alex was welcomed by the mini version of her.

"Alex!" The little girl gasped. She was still in awe at the fact that her mother knew the famous Alex Vause. She heard before that the two used to be friends when they were younger but Laura had found it hard to believe, especially that up until now her mother had zero contact with the musician. "You're here." She threw the brunette an electrifying smile and Alex marveled at how similar it was to Piper's, with dimples and all.

"Hey, kiddo." Alex beamed at the child. "Mommy's home?"

Right as she asked she could hear Piper's voice coming from the inside.

"I told you to stay in bed. Where are you?" The adult blonde finally appeared by the door and her face, too, was soon illuminated by a gentle smile. "Hey." She simply stated.

"Hey yourself." Alex couldn't help chuckling at Piper's surprised face even though she knew she was coming over pretty soon.

"I'm sorry. Come in." The blonde made space for Alex to enter the apartment. "And you, my dear, go back to your bed. We don't want the fever to make a big come back, do we?" She looked worriedly at her daughter.

"Mommy…" The girl gazed at her pleadingly. "Can I stay in the living room. I can lie down on the couch and just watch some cartoons. Pretty please." She made big puppy eyes.

"Yeah, mommy, let her stay with us." Alex winked at the girl which earned her another lovely smile, yet the girl's eyes quickly returned to her mother with a little glimmer of hope shining in them now. Laura had the feeling that now that Alex was on her side, her mom just had to agree. Piper looked at both girls and after a moment of further hesitation, just for the sake of the gravity of the situation, she nodded her head in agreement.

"Yey!" Laura squealed and took off to her room to gather her blankets and pillows, making Alex laugh.

"She's so easy to please." The brunette joked.

"You say that because you don't have to attend to her every whim every day." Piper deadpanned but she seemed to be happy about being a mom. Seeing her like this evoked some warm feeling inside Alex. Piper was simply glowing when she looked at her child. "Here. Coffee and bagels, just as I promised." She gave Piper the bag with food. "I took several flavors, I wasn't sure if you were still crazy for the marzipan one." She smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks. Just go on and make yourself comfortable. I'm afraid the sofa is taken but there are some comfy armchairs, as you can see. I'll bring the food in a minute." Piper led her guest to the small living room area and went to the kitchen to get some plates and all.

The brunette sat down on the armchair nearest to the little girl. Laura wasn't asleep and instead of watching the cartoons that were on TV, she kept staring at Alex with big eyes and only when the singer had realized where the girl's gaze kept drifting, she remembered about the teddy bear she had for her.

"I have a little friend here who can't wait to meet you, kiddo." She gave the toy to the girl whose smile, Alex was ready to swear, could now supply with electricity the whole fucking LA.

"That's for me?" Laura asked shyly.

"Of course. I met him in one store and he told me in highest secrecy that he missed having a friend and I immediately thought about you."

The girl laughed. "Teddy bears don't talk, Alex. But you're cute. And you don't swear as much as I thought you would." She confessed and Alex was simply unable to stop the laughter bubbling out of her.

"I do swear but not all the time." She grinned at the girl who was now giggling, eyes sparkling… until she started coughing.

"Here, have some water." Piper passed her daughter a glass. "What was so funny?" She smiled at both of them.

"Alex is cute." The girl simply stated after calming down a bit and surprisingly the brunette felt heat rising in her cheeks. Piper just laughed.

"How about we eat this little treat that Alex brought us as we watch _Alice in Wonderland_ , hmm?" She asked the girl.

"Perfect."

They settled themselves in comfy positions and enjoyed the film together. It was quiet and comfortable and relaxing. It had been a long time since Piper felt so content. Not a single worry crossed her mind during that time and even though she knew that she and Alex would have to figure out several issues and talk about not so pleasant things, she was happy that they were able to be normal with each other. Just like that. As if all the drama had never happened and no time had passed. She was stealing little looks at the brunette when she thought that she wouldn't notice. The woman looked even better than Piper remembered. There were no blue extensions in her hair anymore. Her face had more mature features now, her beautiful cheekbones were more defined, which only made her look… simply astonishing. No wonder so many girls, her fans, fell for her. She looked like a rock goddess in her leathers and tight black jeans. Now, though, she looked so peaceful with her head laying on the backrest. Her eyes were on the screen and Piper literally jumped when she heard the brunette's raspy voice.

"You're a creep."

She blushed profusely and was glad that the room was almost completely dark, the only source of light being the TV.

"What? Why would you call me that?" She tried to laugh it off. She was busted staring like a psycho but she really couldn't help herself. She guessed she wasn't so subtle after all.

"You should practice your observation skills, Pipes." The brunette was now staring directly at her but she was grinning like a Cheshire cat they'd just seen on the screen. Laura was sleeping quietly on the couch. She must have fallen asleep long time ago because now she was completely out.

"I should get her to her room. It's not comfortable here." Piper whispered, glad that she had a valid reason to change the topic of their conversation. She tried to lift her daughter but before she managed to do that her left arm simply gave up under the weight of her child and Piper cringed her face in pain.

"Are you OK?" Alex was by her side immediately, alarmed.

"Yeah. I've strained my arm at the gym. I totally forgot about that." The blonde explained shakily. Her arm really did hurt like a motherfucker but she was trying to conceal that.

"Here, let me help you."

Alex gathered Laura gently in her arms and the girl clung to her. It was so natural and unforced and the brunette's heart did a little somersault. This little creature was too cute to be true. When she finally lied the girl down in her own little bed, Alex was almost sorry that that soft warm feeling was gone. She was surprised by her own reactions. She had never really liked kids. They scared her. But this time it was somehow different. Laura was such a lovely little girl. And she was Piper's. Maybe that made all the difference?

"She's so beautiful, Pipes." She whispered before she could stop herself and it took the blonde by surprise. She had never expected Alex to behave like this when she would finally meet the girl, if she would ever meet her. But now here they were and Alex was just… Like velvet. Soft, warm, comfortable…

"I know." The blonde smiled. "C'mon, let her sleep." She tugged at Alex's forearm lightly.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Piper asked when they were back in the living room. She was turning on the floor lamps, making the whole area light up in pleasant glow.

"Sure, why not. But just a little. I'm driving actually." Alex followed her to the kitchen and sat by the small table. She observed the blonde's smooth movements but she couldn't help noticing that Piper was now simply thin… Not even slim, she looked almost anorexic and it scared Alex. Piper was always for the healthy lifestyle, good nutritious food, exercising and other shit like that… "Where's Larry?" She asked out of the blue, acting nonchalant but inside there was a volcano boiling. How was he so blind to see that the blonde wasn't doing so well? What the fuck was wrong with him? She noticed how Piper's shoulders slumped at the mentioning of his name and it only made Alex more worried. "Pipes?"

 _Why the hell did she have to use that old nickname._ Piper's thoughts were going crazy in her head. She felt Alex's hand on her own shoulder and it made her shiver.

"Pipes, is everything alright?" Alex looked so genuine, so open and honest and it took all she had for Piper to just smile.

"Of course. He's on a business trip to Portland. He's working on a new article and was sent there to gather some info. Should be back by Friday." She didn't mention that his absence was an actual blessing and she wasn't looking forward to him coming back. In fact, she hoped that he would be held in the other city for longer. Every time he left, her life seemed a bit more normal. _So here what it means going forward. You may not come running to me again. Not with your problems._ Alex hurt voice from the past felt still fresh in Piper's mind. No, she would not do any of that. Alex deserved better.

She handed the brunette her glass of wine.

"What should we toast for?" Alex asked with an easy smile. Although, the whole time she was observing the blonde with keen interest. She still had the nagging feeling that something was off.

"For the new beginning... New-old friendship?" She tried timidly.

"We were never friends, Piper." Alex whispered.

"We weren't?" Piper's eyes grew wide, she was honestly surprised at the answer she received.

"No. Never. I loved you. I loved having sex with you." Alex deadpanned and the blonde blushed profusely. She had forgotten how straight forward her ex-girlfriend could be at times. She used to love it about her but now, at this particular moment, it made her uncomfortable and Alex understood her mistake right away. She wanted to kick herself hard for not stopping her stupid mouth before it said what it had said. "Shit, I'm sorry." She looked at Piper apologetically. "I'm such a fuckhead sometimes. I didn't mean to turn this nice evening into something fucking heavy…" Looong breath.

"Laura was wrong." Piper smiled and the statement made Alex look up in surprise. "You do swear, Al. A fucking lot." She grinned and the brunette laughed. She was extremely glad that Piper was willing to let her 'little' slip of the tongue and mind pass.

"Let's just drink to the new beginning, shall we?" Alex smiled.

"To the new beginning." They sipped their wine.

"Can I ask you something, though?" Alex just really needed to have that part of the conversation over. She needed to know, once and for all, to finally let it rest. She had been going over this thing time and time and again.

"Sure." Piper's pulse quickened. She felt she knew what was coming.

"Why didn't you tell me back then?" Yep. Here it was. Out in the open. No way out.

"Tell you what?" You can always try to maneuver out of it, right Piper? Unfortunately, Alex just glared at her unimpressed.

"Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about."

By that time they had moved back to the living room and were now sitting on the couch. The TV was off and they were surrounded by a ringing silence. Alex refused to back off and was just sitting there patiently. Waiting for an answer, for an explanation. She wasn't angry. Just genuinely curious, intrigued… And uneasy.

"Al…" Piper finally started gently. She was playing with her glass of wine. Obviously nervous and uncomfortable. "I couldn't." She finally whispered.

"Of course you could and you knew that even back then. You just chose not to and I can't help but wonder why. I swear I won't ever come back to this topic but I'm dying to know. To understand." Alex hands were shaking a bit even though she was clearly fighting hard to hide her nerves and Piper could see that. Her own hands were trembling as well. They had to get pass this if they were ever to be back to normal again. Piper owed that to Alex. Honesty.

"No, Alex, I couldn't… You would stay." She whispered without looking the brunette in the eye. If she did look, she would see a very confused face… and then that confusion turned into surprise…To say the least. Her eyebrows went all the way up to her hairline. Piper had never chosen Larry. She had chosen not to burden Alex. She had chosen to let her go because she had thought that that would have been the best for the brunette. One of Alex's theories run that way but she assumed it was the least probable. To hear the blonde say it out loud turned Alex speechless. She had no idea how to react.

"Please, say something." She heard Piper whisper again. Judging by her quivering voice, the blonde was on the brink of tears.

Alex knew that Piper was married. She had a family now. All they could ever be was friends. And she instantly decided that she would try that. She would try the hardest she could because she also knew that she wouldn't be able to go on without the blonde in her life, even if she would be just her friend. Alex would fight with all she had to be a good friend. Piper deserved that much and it was obvious that she was also glad to have Alex around again.

She clinked her glass again with Piper's. "To the new beginning." Alex smiled gently when the first wave of shock passed. "Let's leave the past where it belongs, in the past." She looked Piper in the eye and the blonde looked at her with astonishment. If Alex was really willing to leave it all behind in order to work on some normal relation, so was she.

"To the future." She stated with a voice still a little bit shaky, unsure of how to cope with all of it. But it was all good now. She had her Laura… and she had her Alex. Maybe life would get better somehow.


	4. Chapter 4

– 4 –

 _ **8 months later**_

The Gang had been touring constantly for the last few months and the strain of hard work was slowly showing on all of the girls. The previous week had been especially difficult since the band had a show each night, all of them in different places. Their daily schedule was pure hell. Traveling by night, short nap and lunch, rehearsal and sound check, light dinner, gig. Repeat.

Now they were finally heading back to LA and all of them were extremely happy that they had almost a full week off until their next concert, which would also be the final gig for that leg of the tour. One last big boom before they could embark on a little holiday that they all well deserved.

They were traveling on a big exclusive bus but even though the vehicle was posh and spacious, after so many hours on the go, the girls were grumpy and moody. Only Nicky, who was sitting by the liquor cabinet, seemed to be in good mood. Yes, she was a bit tipsy, but her cheeriness was present not only due to the alcohol she had managed to consume within the last few hours. She had been texting with Lorna the whole time and now she was finally going to see her. The girl had been away to Europe with her parents and that's why Nicky hadn't seen her girlfriend for longer than usual. It made her crazy. Even though she didn't want to openly admit that she was head over hills in love, everybody could easily see that on the first glance.

"Yo, Nichols… Remind me again, why the hell are we not traveling by plane?" It was Poussey. She obviously had enough of the bus ride.

"Fuck off." Yet, Nicky really couldn't be bothered. She just flipped her friend without even looking at her. She hated planes. Was scared shitless of them – another thing that she just refused to admit openly.

"She's grinning like that 'cause she knows she's finally going to get laid." Everybody chuckled at Alex's joke but they were also surprised that the brunette was actually not asleep. She had been totally quiet for the last two hours or so and everyone had assumed their front singer was finally out. They had noticed that she had a major problem with sleeping. Nobody mentioned anything because they didn't want to start any fights. They were all tired and even one spark could start a fire. They knew each other well enough to know when to stop prying. And Alex was especially sensitive about her privacy, even with them sometimes.

"Well, at least I'm going to get laid, you green-eyed-monster." She pointed her finger at Alex. "Something you should also try once in a while."

"Don't worry about my sex life, shortie. It's better than you think." Alex smirked.

"What? Certain blonde came back to the soft league?" Nicky laughed and punched her friend on the arm lightly. She knew that Alex had met Piper several more times since they had stumbled upon each other and she was teasing her relentlessly ever since she realized that Alex was actually doing well with the whole 'friendship thing' as Nicky called it. She felt there would be trouble out of it but since Alex refused to back off, the lion-haired girl just had to give up. Besides… She did miss Piper, no matter how hard it was to admit it out loud. So instead of showing her excitement at the blonde coming back to their little gang, she focused on harassing Alex.

"Your death will probably be caused by being sarcastic at the wrong time, Nichols." Alex narrowed her eyes at her friend. She really hated that kind of jokes. They were a big part of the reason why the brunette hadn't suggested yet that they all should meet. Her and Piper's new-found bond was still very fragile and somehow Alex wanted to protect it, to keep it just their own, but she knew that this situation wouldn't last much longer.

"How come we haven't meet up with her yet?" Aaand of course Poussey had to say that finally. Alex just let a long breath while she was trying to figure out what to tell them. "Yeah… We'll have some free time… Let's grab some lunch together or something. Or maybe tell her to come to our gig. It's even better. She can join us for after-party. I bet a mama can use some girl time."

"Actually…" Alex pondered on that idea for a while. "That can be a good plan. I'll ask her when I see her."

"Which is five minutes after we arrive in LA." Nicky laughed from under her cap. She was using it to block the little light, trying to get some sleep after all. They still had at least 2 more hours to go.

"What did I tell you about that sarcasm of yours?"

"Go, get some beauty sleep. You need to look good later." Another sleepy voice chirped from the back of the bus.

"Fuck off you too, Stella." Alex just flipped her off but judging by the giggles and sniggers around her, it would have been better if she had just shut up. Her friends were obviously in the mood to piss her off.

Alex stretched her long legs and tried to get more comfortable. It was already almost midnight but she didn't feel tired. Reading a book was out of question because the rest of her companions decided to finally get some real sleep and the brunette didn't want to bother them with extra light so she busied herself with surfing the net.

She was in the middle of an interesting article about Virginia Woolf when her phone vibrated in her hand, startling her. It was pretty late and she didn't expect anyone to contact her. Red was asleep for sure. Lucky bastard had flown directly to LA, adamantly refusing to go by bus with them, and Alex didn't really blame her. Sitting for so many hours would have killed her poor back.

She curiously opened her messenger.

Piper: [Are you home yet?]

Alex grinned.

Alex: [Why? Want to grab a drink? Advice: you won't guzzle more than a rock star.]

On the other end of that conversation, Piper was sitting in her bathtub, relaxing after a long day of work at the bookstore (there was a huge delivery she had to deal with on her own). She was also tired because of Larry. He was actually in good mood that day but that didn't make it any easier on Piper. Lately, she had been constantly waiting for another fight. He became so off-balanced that even she was unable to foresee what could trigger him into full blown anger. He was under a lot of pressure at work. She knew that but more and more often she had enough of all of it. She really would have to finally walk out of this sick situation… But she was so fucking scared. Petrified by just thinking about it.

She was trying to be quiet. She really didn't want to wake Larry up. Thank God he was so tired that he fell asleep early today. Judging by his fairly good mood from the day, he would insist on having sex and Piper hated that more than anything in the world. She even preferred when he was angry. She seriously would rather take a punch than sleep with him. She tried to oppose him several times but each time it didn't end well for her. She hated sex. Detested it. Was afraid of it.

Her phone buzzed next to the bathtub and when she read Alex's answer she couldn't contain a little giggle. She listened intently for a while just to make sure Larry was still asleep. Thankfully, he seemed to be out for the rest of the night. He had an important meeting the next morning so he would also be out of home super early. Piper was glad about that, too.

She chuckled one more time when she reread the message from Alex.

Piper: [No, you douche. I was just wondering where you were.]

Alex: [What? No margaritas for you?]

Before Piper could respond there was another message.

Alex: [Still on the bus for another hour. Horrible. You?]

Piper: [Bathtub for another hour. Splendid.]

After rereading her last message Piper's lip quivered and she got nervous. She wrote it innocently, right? Alex wouldn't think that Piper was flirting, right? She wasn't flirting, right? The blonde started to panic. They had clearly stated that they were friends and wouldn't do anything to ruin that this time. She really wanted to kick herself because even such an innocent message could be read really wrong. She was thinking hard of what to write next to turn it into some boring story but Alex was faster in replying.

Alex: [Lucky you. I can't wait to get into mine.]

Piper released a long breath that she didn't know she had been holding. Alex was on normal mode, good. Alex wasn't flirting back… Or at all, good. Everything was under control, good. All was good. So why did she feel so bad? She took another long breath and tried to relax in bubbly water. Polly had sent her some of her products and it smelled heavenly. The oils were actually helping her bruised back heal. The big black mark was almost completely gone. Great because Laura had been nagging her to go to the swimming pool and Piper knew she couldn't show up with that thing on her back. Now it was just a tiny bit of bruise, easy to explain away. Especially to her daughter. Thankfully, Larry had never thrown a tantrum when their child was in the room.

She texted Alex that she was going to sleep and that she was hoping to see the brunette soon. She was really tired after that day, indeed.

XxXxX

Nicky would have never stopped laughing at Alex if she had known about this. It was around noon the next day after their arrival in LA and the brunette was already standing in the bookstore with two cups of coffee and some pastry. She was wearing tight black jeans and a simple sleeveless top which showed off all of her beautiful tattoos.

"Hey, Sarah." Alex greeted the teenager sitting nonchalantly on one of the armchairs and reading some book. She grinned when she saw the brunette and just motioned with her head that Piper was out in the back. "Thanks." The singer whispered after dropping the kid a chocolate muffin. Alex figured that Sarah wasn't actually that bad when she finally relaxed enough to act normally around her. The kid was now used to Alex dropping by from time to time and she was just impressed that her colleague had so cool friends. Piper told her she and Alex knew each other from high-school times.

"I love walking into a bookstore. It's like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me." Alex's husky voice startled Piper. She didn't see her approaching and now she was choking on the water that she had been drinking. Alex patted her back lightly but she couldn't help laughing out loud.

"God, you scared me." The blonde finally said, still a little short of breath.

"It's Alex, thank you." Piper just threw her a glare but she was smiling. "Did you know that Tennessee Williams choked to death on a bottle cap?" The brunette asked with a wicked grin.

"I don't think I want to know how he managed to do that." Piper laughed. "Were you planning to kill me literary style?"

"Nope. I was planning to whisk you away to a nearby park for a little sweet lunch. Alex style." Alex grinned and passed to Piper one of the paper cups and the blonde couldn't conceal a smile. It was so good to have Alex around again.

XxXxX

They were sitting on a bench simply sipping coffee and not even talking. Piper was basking in full blown sunshine and Alex was trying not to burn to death. She forgot her sunscreen and her creamy skin was slowly starting to beg for mercy but the sight of Piper so relaxed sitting next to her with closed eyes and that goofy grin made Alex decide that she could take a little simmering.

She had the feeling that the blonde was even slimmer than those few weeks ago but Alex didn't know how to approach that issue. She was worried about her friend and she wanted to help but couldn't if she didn't know what the problem truly was. Piper's face looked tired. Piper overall looked… well… tired… Exhausted really.

"How have you been?" Alex asked lightly as if nothing serious was behind the question but what she really wanted to know was what was bothering the blonde. Because obviously something was not quite right.

"Good." Piper responded not even looking at Alex. She was too busy enjoying the sun but when the brunette didn't say anything for a while she finally turned her face towards her. "You?"

But Alex didn't answer her at all. She just stared at Piper and the intensity of it all made Piper look down. She got nervous. She knew that Alex knew that something was wrong and if Alex could say after just a few meetings, then everybody probably knew and… Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her own, the one which had been laying between her and Alex. Her stream of thoughts stopped abruptly but she didn't raise her eyes to meet the green ones.

"You would tell me if something was wrong, right?" Alex asked gently and she felt that Piper's hand was trembling. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." She made Piper look her in the face. "But I'm here if you do want to talk, OK?"

"OK."

"With a dot?"

Piper laughed.

The rest of their lunch together was spent in a much lighter atmosphere. Alex told her about the tour and the adventures and problems they had had on the way. Piper laughed at how crazy the girls could be at times. She couldn't believe that Nicky and Stella had got themselves arrested because they were caught smoking weed in front of the police station. Pennsatucky tried to help them by quarreling with a cop that it was a sort of protest against the ban of smoking weed… Which almost got her arrested as well. Red wanted to kill them all. And then kill them again but even in a more bloody way. Alex was laughing telling that story. She was lucky enough to witness the arrest firsthand.

Piper, of course, read all about it on the Internet but it was much funnier hearing about it directly from the brunette. She felt a little closer to the whole gang that way.

"How are they?" She finally asked. She avoided talking about the girls because she knew that they were probably still mad at her… Or rather wanted to chop her head off. She missed them terribly but she wasn't sure that they would ever talk to her again. On the other hand… Alex was talking to her and they knew about it probably so maybe there was a little hope?

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Alex surprised Piper with her answer.

"I don't think they would like to see me, Al." She stuttered, evidently tense again.

"Well… They actually told me to ask you whether you could come to our last show and later join us for the after-party." Alex grinned.

"They want me there?" The blonde was really surprised now. Pleased but she really didn't expect it. "Polly will be here."

"So take Molly with you." Piper laughed at the old vicious nickname.

"Stop calling her that."

"I will when she stops calling me supercunt." Upon seeing Piper's shocked face Alex just laughed again. "What? You thought I didn't know?" She grinned even more.

Sitting there and having fun with Alex was wonderful. Every time they met, Piper felt a tone lighter. It was so normal. Without tension. Effortless.

"This feels so…" Piper looked Alex in the eye. "…natural." She couldn't contain a slight blush raising in her cheeks and the sight of it made Alex smirk mischievously.

"What does?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"This. Us." Piper grinned when she saw that Alex was just teasing her but then the smirk on the brunette's face was replaced by a more gentle smile .

"I think that when you have a connection with someone it never really goes away, you know? You snap back to being important to each other because you still are." Alex simply stated and it made Piper's whole body warm up. It felt as if the brunette could hear her own thoughts, she was still able to read her effortlessly. It both pleased Piper and terrified her.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and soon they had to be getting back to the bookstore. First of all, Piper's lunch break was over and second of all Laura would be finishing her classes soon and she usually headed to the store, not home.

They were still giggling over something when they entered the building but Piper's voice died down immediately and only when Alex looked up did she realize why. There he was. Sitting by one of the small tables and reading a newspaper. Laura was sitting next to him drawing something on a piece of paper with crayons. She looked deeply focused at her task but when the women entered, she immediately jumped to meet them.

"Mommy! Ally!" The girl hugged them both and Larry's eyebrows shot up. He stood up and walked up to them.

"Well, well, well… Alex Vause. I can't say I'm not surprised." He extended his hand and she shook it.

"Larry. Long time no see." She tried to be nice but at the same time she could feel the blonde tense up next to her and it made her uncomfortable, too. The only person in that room who was completely oblivious to the whole situation was Laura. She was still excited to see Alex again. She really adored the raven-haired woman.

"You didn't say anything that you guys met." He addressed Piper. He was smiling but it was clear that he didn't mean to be completely polite. Him and Alex had always hated each other's guts.

"Oh, there was nothing to tell. I didn't think you would be interested in that." Piper tried to play it down but she was clearly stressed out and it made Alex rise her eyebrows this time in surprise. Why would the blonde be afraid of her own husband? She knew she didn't do anything wrong. Besides, Larry had no idea that she and Alex used to be together… So what was the problem?

Even Laura seemed tense now after hearing her father's tone. She was smart enough to recognize it. She came back to the table quietly and took her crayons but she wasn't drawing anymore, rather just pretending. From time to time she would look up at the three of them, focusing her gaze on her father as if she was waiting for something to happen. Alex decided that she needed to defuse the situation somehow and fast.

"Piper mentioned that you're a journalist." She threw him a toothy grin, hoping that he would buy it even though she could literally feel her cheeks hurt. "Awesome, man. Anything interesting you're working on now?" There was a spark in Larry's eye. Yes, she got him. Easy egocentric prick.

"Well, yes, in fact. I'm going to Portland again this week. I'm flying there tomorrow early morning and I'm afraid that I'll get stuck there for over a week." He looked apologetically at Piper. "That's why I dropped by today, to take you all to dinner. I've already talked to Sarah. She's going to cover for you."

"Oh, great." Piper relaxed a bit. "Let me just grab my stuff and we can go."

"Would you like to join us, Alex?" He turned to her. Alex saw the look at Piper's face and it seemed that the blonde was silently begging Alex with her eyes not to go with them. That Alex going would somehow make the whole situation worse.

"No, thank you. Maybe some other time. I'm a little busy and it seems like a family event, so." She smiled at him but truly she wanted to wipe that idiotic smile out of his face. Now she was worried about Piper more than ever before. The blonde was obviously scared of him but Alex had no real prove that he did anything wrong. For now she had to leave it, give Piper some space. "I actually have to get going." She shook his hand again and waved at Piper and Laura who were already heading for Piper's stuff. "I'll call you later."

When Alex finally left the bookstore she was boiling inside like a volcano. She had to analyze everything with a calm mind. Maybe she was overreacting and there was nothing to worry about. Piper had just panicked because she was afraid that her husband would realize that something was up between them… But the point was that there fucking wasn't anything between them so why did Piper freak out? And not just obviously being stressed and cute as she usually is in such situations. No, she was honestly scared. Trembling.

"Motherfucker." Alex whispered to herself as she got into her car.

XxXxX

Piper was sitting next to Larry in a nice Italian restaurant. Laura had already finished her meal and was now playing with two other children in a game area created there especially for kids. The atmosphere had cleared somehow and they were talking quite peacefully, although Piper was still buzzing with nerves inside. She needed to bring up Alex again and explain herself before Larry starts it. When he starts it, she will be in fucking trouble and that was the last thing she wanted for herself and for her daughter… That damn swimming pool promise.

"Listen… About earlier…" She stared tentatively.

"Yes?" Larry seemed bored but she knew better. He always looked most disinterested when they were talking about the most crucial issues. This unnerved her.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Alex. I honestly didn't think that was so important. She's just an old friend."

"I know." Short answer. Fuck, that wasn't good. Piper bit her lower lip. "And it really isn't a problem." A longer sentence… Maybe she wasn't in trouble yet.

"You sure about that?"

"Of course. Because you won't see her again." He simply stated as she continued to eat his tiramisu. He didn't even spare her one look.

"What?" Something stirred in her. A hot feeling flared up. "You can't do that." She whispered angrily.

"Do what?" Now he was looking at her.

"You can't forbid me. It's not your call."

"Yes it is. You are mine and it is my call."

"But…" She tried to protest but he suddenly grabbed her left hand and squeezed hard enough to make Piper's eyes fill with tears.

"I said you won't see her again. Understood?" He hissed through his teeth and Piper just nodded her head. She was petrified. He had never used violence when they were in a public place for everyone to see if he wasn't careful enough. "I need to hear it." He hissed again.

"Yes, I understand." She whispered, still shaking with pain and fear.

"Good. I'll get the bill. They should fire all of these lazy-ass waiters here." He stood up from their table.

Piper was left there alone. Her mind was fuming while she was trying to compose herself. Her hand was tingling. He didn't break anything but it would hurt for a while now for sure. For the first time in years she felt something more than just fear. She was furious. "The hell you'll take her away from me. Fuck you, Larry." She whispered to herself angrily.

XxXxX

For the next couple of days Alex busied herself with reading, listening to music, going to the gym, reading, listening to music… You get the drift. She didn't want to contact the blonde first, giving her some space. She was worried sick about Piper and tired to numb her overworking brain, mostly with extra heavy exercising. Even her private trainer was impressed.

She was currently running on a treadmill, a little display informed her that she had just reached her new record – 13 miles. She finally started to slow down because she felt that: a) she was about to spit her lungs out, and b) one more step and her legs would give out totally, making her fall like a mannequin to the floor and earning her a tag of the biggest loser in the room. She stepped down from the machine, took a sip of water and went to the weight lifting area. It was nice to sit down on one of the benches and stretch her legs a little. She was sure the next day she wouldn't be able to move at all. Sore muscles can really kick your ass.

"I really do hope you're not planning to do the muscle workout now, Vause." The brunette heard the smooth voice of her personal trainer. The woman wasn't supposed to be there that day but as it turned out, she also couldn't stay away from the gym.

"Hi, Sam." Alex grinned at the tall redhead. "Thought you had a rest day today."

"Could say the same about you. What did I tell you about rest days being important?" Samantha chuckled as she sprayed Alex with a bit of cold water from her bottle.

"Hey!" The brunette wiped her face. "What are you? Nine?" She laughed.

"That's a punishment for not listening to your trainer."

"Look who's speaking." Alex retorted.

"I'm here only for job related reasons, paperwork and all that bullshit." She looked down at the brunette. "Is everything alright?" She asked concerned when she noticed that Alex seemed to be more exhausted than ever.

"Yeah, sure." The brunette faked a toothy smile and her trainer just looked at her unconvinced.

"Tell you what… I really need some lunch right now. How about you hit the showers and I'll get my stuff done and we can go grab something to eat, hmmm?"

"Actually… What the hell… Sure." Alex smiled up at her.

XxXxX

They were sitting by a table in a local small-key restaurant that Sam had chosen. It was a beautiful sunny day so they decided to stay outside. Thankfully, it was in a pretty quiet street so Alex felt comfortable. She hadn't noticed any photographers or anyone like that. She was glad that the band's latest album was slowly getting to be yesterday's news because thanks to this she would have some freedom for a while. And only God knows how much she needed that. She loved what she did but from time to time she was honestly tired and all she dreamed about now was to get some of her privacy back. Seeing her own face on the news every second day turned out to be quite tiring.

She and Sam were almost done with their food and were just sitting there enjoying their red wine when the trainer finally addressed the issue that had been in her interest for a while now.

"So what's up with you?"

Alex just looked at the beautiful redhead in surprise. She hadn't noticed anything being up with her… "What do you mean?" She asked instead answering her friend/trainer.

"You've been really quiet recently. Focused and overzealous." She chuckled. "Don't get me wrong… I appreciate your effort to be in shape and all but… It's kind of unusual for you not to banter or just… I don't know… You've been just quiet." She concluded helplessly.

Alex fidgeted with her eyeglasses. Even Sam knew that when Alex did that it meant that she was uncomfortable so she just kept quiet. She didn't really want to intimidate her friend further. She was simply worried. It wasn't just the quietness that concerned her. Alex seemed to be more nervous, uptight. Stress was eating at her and Sam didn't like it one bit. The brunette was not just a client. They had grown to be quite good friends over the last two years.

"Listen… I didn't mean to…" Sam stared but was soon startled by Alex's unusual question.

"Do you happen to know any psychologist who would also be an expert on home abuse? You know… Bad relationships and such?" The brunette asked tentatively and Sam's eyes grew big. "You know this place better than me."

"Alex… Do you need help?" Sam asked as she reached her arm over the table and put her hand on the brunette's. "You know you can count on me with anything, right?" She was honestly concerned now.

"It's not for me or about me." Alex smiled timidly at her. "I have a friend…" She gave herself a moment to think of what to say next and Sam waited patiently. "I'm worried about her. I think she might be in trouble but I can't be sure?" She asked not only her friend but herself as well.

"I don't know anyone like that but I'll ask around, OK? I'm sure some of my clients might have some phone numbers to people like that."

"Thank you." Alex smiled and squeezed her friend's hand lightly. She decided to change the topic and the mood of their conversation. She really didn't want to dwell on that now. It was enough that she was crazy worried about Piper. She needed a little break. "Did you get the tickets?"

"For the grand finale? Of course." Sam laughed. "If you just could see Josh's face when I showed them to him. God, I swear he's like a child sometimes." She chuckled.

"I'm glad I made your husband happy." Alex grinned.

"Yeah well… You definitely did. Especially when he noticed the VIP bands. Thanks, you really didn't have to do this."

"I want you guys there. Just tell him not to squeal like a little girl next time. It's kinda embarrassing to be honest." Alex laughed at the memory of the last show that Sam had taken her husband to.

"I can't control that. I'm sorry." Sam grimaced but it only made Alex's laughter lauder as she half-hugged her friend who was now sitting next to her.

"I thought you could threaten him with the ban on computer games or something." Alex chuckled but it only made the redhead groan more.

"Men… They're like kids. Brats really."

"Yeah well… Thank God they're not my problem." Alex smirked.

XxXxX

 _ **Next day**_

Piper was sitting in a small café, sipping on her latte. Polly was in the ZOO with Laura. Both of them were adamant that that specific day was for them only. A little girl and her god-mother. Two people invited on the trip. Piper was supposed to have that day to herself. She had to admit there weren't many such occasions in a year. To be just by herself. She, herself and her. Piper actually loved every minute of it.

She had been conflicted between calling Alex and asking her to join her and catching up with her reading, simply enjoying the solitude. Her plans had changed the moment she had seen the morning newspaper with a full blown cover photo of her raven-haired friend. Now Piper was sitting and reading the damn article instead of focusing on her Faulkner and she was boiling inside. She tried very hard to put the disturbing feelings to rest but every time she looked at the redhead in the picture beaming at Alex… Alex holding the woman's hand and laughing with her, Alex enjoying her wine with some breathtaking model-like beauty… Piper's heart sunk. Of course she knew that the brunette wasn't a prude. Damn, she knew perfectly well what kind of very sexual being Alex was… But she pushed those thoughts to the very back of her mind, refused to wonder about Alex's fuck buddies or girlfriends… But now the picture was staring in her face and Piper had to learn how to deal with that. Fast.

What really infuriated her was the fact that the story in the newspaper really disturbed her and she knew it shouldn't. So what that Alex hadn't told her that she had been seeing someone? They hadn't talked much about Larry either. Their relationships were kinda a 'no-go' area. But seeing Alex happy like that with someone else was difficult.

Piper took another sip of her coffee. It was cold now but the blonde didn't mind. She just needed her energy back. Polly and Laura would join her soon and she needed to be ready to fake a smile and act as if nothing had happened. She didn't even plan to hide the damn newspaper. For some reason she really needed to show the world that she and Alex would be OK. As friends. No matter what. Maybe the fact that Piper was able to keep her cool upon seeing the brunette with someone else, would finally convince Polly, too. Her friend kept nagging her. Kept asking whether Piper was fine. Whether she was sure that Alex wouldn't mean to her anything more than a good friend now. And Piper kept reassuring her. Although, the blonde wasn't so sure anymore whether Polly liked her answers. On quite a few occasions she felt as if the short brunette was actually hoping for Piper to rekindle her relationship with Alex and it shocked her so much that she dismissed the weird idea immediately. Maybe Piper's mind was just playing ticks on her about what Polly's intentions about this whole thing might have been…

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Alex: [Coffee?]

Piper smiled despite the sad feeling that just wouldn't leave her heart.

Piper: [I'm already having one as we speak.]

Alex: [Where? Is it any good?]

Piper chuckled.

Piper: [Hmm… OK.]

Alex: [Just OK?]

Piper: [Yep.]

Alex: [Can I come and try it myself? :)]

Piper took a look at her watch. Polly and Laura would be probably late. Besides… her daughter would actually love to see Alex again. It was so easy to see that her little girl was crazy about the musician. Now even more so than ever and it wasn't just the typical fan-zone-kind-of-crazy. Now Laura simply enjoyed spending time with her because Alex was funny but kind, goofy at times but smart, and the girl loved her sense of humor. Piper was surprised at how fast her ex-girlfriend managed to befriend her daughter. She had never suspected that Alex would like kids so much. Polly probably wouldn't mind meeting the brunette, too. Piper even suspected that her life-long friend was eager to see her again, which was a bit weird. The two of them had never been friendly before. _But oh well… What the heck_. – Piper thought.

Piper: [Chocolate Bar, 1635 Vine St.]

Alex: [Someone's into something sweet.]

Piper chuckled.

Piper: [Just get here, you smartass.]

…

Alex walked into the fairly empty café and looked around in search for the blonde. She smiled broadly when she finally noticed her sitting in a quiet corner. She was reading some book and when the brunette walked quietly closer she was able to see that it was _As I Lay Dying_. Once back in the days they had read it together and the memory of those evenings evoked a warm feeling in Alex's chest. She also liked to come back to her old readings from time to time. Although, up until now, she rather avoided anything that would bring Piper on her mind.

She sat down unceremoniously with a thump startling Piper and making her jump a bit.

"Hey there, oh gentle one." The blonde grinned. She was so glad to see the brunette. Just her presence made the whole day better immediately.

"Hey yourself." Alex smiled as she stretched her shoulders a little before finally slumping in the armchair which turned out to be actually much more comfortable than it looked. Her whole body was aching. Thanks to her extended work-out session she had muscle sores which were way worse than she had ever experienced before. Also, her head was killing her and she was sporting a massive hangover. That was thanks to Nicky, Lorna, Stella and Jess, who had managed to persuade Alex that drinking a lot of beer would prevent muscles sores. They had been so wrong about this…

"Tired?" Piper quipped upon seeing Alex's pained face with each of her movement.

"A bit, yes." The brunette chuckled. "I think I strained all of my muscles, I swear."

"Too much partying will give you hell. Or did you have a looong night?" Piper winked. She was trying hard to play it cool. Tease the brunette a little... Just like a friend would...

"People to whom sin is just a matter of words, to them salvation is just words, too." Alex grinned stretching her back now. She really should have had that back massage instead of that beer…

"Really? You're going to throw Faulkner in my face now?" The blonde laughed.

"Yep. I'm working on my salvation." Alex laughed with her but then her face was screwed up in pain again. "Damn, I'm getting old."

"What? Hot redheads are too much for you now?" Piper wanted to bite her tongue so hard it would bleed but it was too late. It just kind of jumped out of her mouth, surprising even herself. Where the fuck did it come from?!

"Excuse me?" Alex laughed, clearly surprised and amused. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline.

OK, Piper, play it cool… Laugh at it, joke around. Good friends do laugh about the other's partners, right? That's what Nicky would do if she knew Alex was meeting someone, right? She, Piper, could do just that, too. Right?!

She tossed the newspaper to Alex. "I must admit, you've got some good taste, Vause." She faked a grin onto her face and was praying that Alex would buy it. "Nice tits." Piper chuckled and she thought she would vomit instead actually but she also thought that she was throwing quite a good image of a 'happy-for-you-asshole' face.

When Alex saw the newspaper and the pictures she was confused for a second but then she erupted in laughter that she was unable to stop for several minutes and it was Piper's turn to get confused.

"What's so funny?" She giggled forcedly but instead of answering, Alex just pulled out her phone and dialed some number holding her finger to Piper to make her shut up for a second. She was still chuckling when she spoke the first words into the receiver.

" _Hey, Sam! How's it going?"_ A few seconds of silent listening. " _Have you seen this morning's news?"_ Laughter. _"Yeah."_ Some more laughter. _"Apparently we're almost married, hon."_ Some mooore laughter. Piper just stared. _"Should we tell Josh?"_ Hysterical laughter. Piper just stared utterly confused. _"You know, I think your husband should hear it from us, don't you think?"_ Some more bawling laughter and Piper's eyes almost popped out from shock. She sat there listening to Alex's conversation and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was fucked up.

After a little longer the brunette finally ended her phone call and just sat there staring at Piper with amusement painting her beautiful features. The sparkle in her eye infuriated the blonde and she was fighting with all her strength not to let it show. She obviously failed miserably judging by Alex's another fit of laugher.

"What?" Piper finally asked, having had enough of being laughed at.

"I'm dating a married woman." Alex chuckled.

"And you think it's funny?" Piper was in awe. How could the brunette act so cool about it. When the media would finally realize that this Sam girl, or whatever her name was, was actually married, they would never give a break to Alex. Those hyenas love scandals like that. And yet, here was Alex sitting in front of her… laughing her ass off as if there was nothing to worry about. So yes, Piper was confused a bit.

"No, that wouldn't be funny. But you thinking that I'm dating a married chick is." Alex grinned.

Pipers brows furrowed. "So, you're not dating her?"

"Nope."

"Not fooling around with her?"

"Once again – a negative."

"So… What was that all about?" Piper took the newspaper and showed Alex the pictures again.

"That's what rags do. Those paparazzi take pictures, some wanna-be-journalists write sorry-excuses-of-articles. Bullshit sales, Pipes." Alex smiled sadly. "I've got used to it." She crunched her face. "Almost." She looked at the pictures again and chuckled. "That's Sam, my private trainer and a friend. We went for a quick lunch yesterday. That's it. Josh was laughing his ass off this morning. That's her husband, by the way. You're going to meet them at the concert." She pulled something from her back. "Which reminds me of this. Here are the tickets for you and…"

She was stopped by a little girl jumping onto her lap without a warning, screaming into her ear. "Alllyyyyyy! You're here!" Alex's face was a picture of pure pain and Piper couldn't stop laughing. Thankfully Laura didn't see that expression since she was too busy hugging Alex with all her strength, making the woman flinch in even greater pain, yet she tried to hug the little girl back.

"Hey, buddy! Did you have fun with your auntie?" Alex looked up at the brunette. "Hello, Polly." She smiled, trying to test the waters. Way back when Polly hadn't been exactly Alex's fan. To say the least. Now, Alex wasn't sure where they were standing but when Polly actually pulled her into a hug after Laura finally released her, to say that Alex was shocked would be an understatement.

"So good to see you." The shorter brunette whispered as she hugged her tight and Alex wasn't sure how to react to that so she chose to keep a little distance. This was getting a little weird… and worrisome.

"It's been a while." Alex smiled cautiously.

"Ally, you know what? We've seen a huge eunectes!" Laura was jumping up and down with excitement.

"We've seen a what?" Polly looked confusedly at her little companion.

"A green anaconda." Alex explained ruffling Laura's hair a bit and grinning at her.

"See, I told you she knows everything." The little girl said still in awe and Piper felt as if some nice warm shawl engulfed her heart. Seeing her daughter with Alex always evoked that kind of feeling… and it scared the shit out of her.

Before Polly had the chance to react to that, Laura got up from her chair and forced Piper to go to the toilet with her. The shorter brunette sat down next to Alex and it was quiet for a while. Neither woman knew how to really start a conversation. It had been a while, indeed.

"Listen…" Both of them started at the same time and they chuckled.

"OK, you go first, Molly." Alex stated. She was still nervous even though she tried to act as her usual confident-asshole self but the brunette ignored the jibe, at least so it seemed.

"I'm glad that she's got you here." Polly looked straight at Alex and the brunette was caught so of guard with the statement that she didn't manage to conceal her utter surprise at what she had just heard. "Yes, I know." Polly chuckled. "But I mean it. Piper needs a friend and I can't visit her as often as I would like to." She hesitated for a moment. "So… I am really glad that you're here. That she's got somebody here."

"She's got Larry." Alex decided to test her theory a bit here. Polly must have known something if there was anything to know.

Upon hearing that Polly just huffed. She, on the other hand, was simply unable to conceal her aversion. "He's the whole fucking reason why she needs a friend here." Alex clenched her jaw.

"She wouldn't tell me anything. I ask her sometimes but I don't want to make her push me away." Alex whispered through clenched jaw. She had been right. Her gut feeling had been dead on and now she was pissed because she had been right all along. Damn.

"I know how you feel, believe me." Polly put her hand on Alex's forearm. "Please, just don't fuck it up, OK?" Alex started to protest but Polly stopped her. "I know you don't want to… Just please, please, be patient with her." The shorter really looked worried and it made Alex's heart sunk. How bad was it really? She wanted to know immediately but she also knew that it wasn't the time and place to discuss it.

"You know I will. We've got her, OK? We'll figure something out." Alex looked Polly in the eye. Somehow she understood that she had just found an ally.

Polly smiled. "We will. And stop calling me Molly. You perfectly know my name." She pretended to be annoyed.

"OK, Holly." Alex grinned. She just couldn't help herself.

"Supercunt." Polly grinned right back and both of them burst out laughing.

That's how Piper and Laura saw them when they finally got back from the toilet. As it turned out, Laura forced her mother to buy her a huge milkshake and that's why it had taken them so long. The blonde had been worried about leaving Alex and Polly alone but upon seeing them in such good moods her nerves calmed down. She was even intrigued.

"What's so funny?" She asked the two women.

"I thought we've already established that today, Pipes." Alex grinned at her.

"Oh fuc…" She caught herself. She didn't like to throw fucks in the presence of her daughter. "Just forget it." She finally gave up making both of her friends chuckle and it turned Laura's attention.

"What's so funny?" The little girl asked.

"Your mommy." Alex smiled still looking at Piper.

"Oh, yeah. I know." Laura stated with all seriousness on her sweet face as if what had just been said was the truest of truths and everybody erupted in laughter. "What did I just say?" Laura was confused but now was smiling as well.


	5. Chapter 5

[Disclaimer: The songs used in this chapter are not mine. They belong to Imagine Dragons and Halestorm. :)]

– 5 –

The day had finally come. The day of their big show ending their very long tour. Alex felt giddy from the very early morning and just the pure fact that she was up before 7 am proved how truly nervous she was. She really wanted this last gig to be just perfect. Their fans deserved it fully… Especially that they were forced to pay a little fortune for the tickets, a fact which infuriated all of the girls in The Gang but it was up to Red setting the prices and negotiating with other companies involved in the tour. After a little quarreling they had to give up. Red did what she had to do and she was the best at it. They all knew that.

All of the girls had invited their close ones to the show. The plan was to go and celebrate right after the concert. For the first time in a really long time Alex had decided to bring someone along as well. Actually, Piper wasn't just her guest. Everybody in the band knew her well. Pennsatucky kept asking when the blonde would get to the venue. She was really excited to see her. The other girls seemed excited as well, especially Poussey, who kept patting Alex back here and there and she had the biggest white shiny smile Alex had seen on her face in months. It made the brunette relax a bit. Piper's meeting with the band was another thing that worried her throughout the day. She hoped that everything could be good again between them. Maneuvering between the band and the blonde was slowly getting more and more tiring.

"What's up, stretch?" Nicky jumped off the stage and sat next to Alex on a big box in which their drums were normally packed. Now the instruments were standing proudly in the middle of the stage, ready for action. The band had been rehearsing since 1 o'clock and finally, after making sure that all the sound was perfect, they could allow themselves a little break.

"Nothing much. Trying to relax, as you can see." Alex showed her a small bottle of beer that she was holding. "Care to join me?"

Nicky grinned upon hearing the invitation. She was always up for some nice drink with her friend… Or anyone who would offer her an icy cold beer on a warm day.

"Where's everybody?" Nicky looked around while sipping on her fresh beer. "I've been gone backstage for like three minutes and everybody evaporated."

"Maybe they used the occasion to get rid of you." Alex sniggered. "I was too late obviously." She clicked her bottle to Nicky's.

"Fuck you." Nicky giggled.

"Poussey is making a phone call to her dad. He's on his way here. Pennsatucky is meditating in her room." Alex scrunched her face. She never understood all that spiritual bullshit that her friend was into. "And Stella's out with her girlfriend. Lunch… or so they've claimed." They both chuckled at that.

"Lunch. Sure. Knowing those two they won't get back here until the very last moment and Red will be furious. Get ready for that."

"Where is she anyways?" Alex hadn't seen their manager since this morning and it was actually quite unusual for the woman to be absent from their rehearsal.

"She's in the hotel room, packing. Don't tell me that you forgot that right after the show she's flying to NYC to see her family. Her granddaughter's birthday is tomorrow."

"Oh, right." The brunette had been so absent-minded recently that that little fact completely escaped her attention. She was trying to focus solely on the upcoming show…and Piper. Alex's last conversation with Polly left her worried and confused. She had given the shorter brunette her cell number and made her swear that if Piper ever need any help, Polly would call her. Alex was pretty sure the blonde wouldn't want to burden her herself, a fact which the singer found extremely infuriating. Friends should know they can count on each other, right? But somehow Piper kept her distance. They kept in touch, spent time together, laughed together, talked a lot… But when it came to the real shit, Piper withdrew each time. And Alex didn't push. She promised Polly that she would be patient with the blonde. Give her space that she seemed to need.

"Yo, man. Where are you?" Alex saw Nicky's hand waving millimeters from her own nose. She just smiled at her friend.

"I'm right here, in this magnificent stadium. Shit… how many people will be here tonight?" She stood up to look around. Nicky knew that Alex had dodged the real question but she let it slide this time. She was aware that her friend was stressed out… not only by the upcoming show. Something had been bothering her a lot lately and the wild-haired woman had a pretty good idea what it was…or rather who it was.

"Red said we've sold out. There's gonna be around 50 thousand people!" Nicky exclaimed excitedly and Alex's jaw dropped right to the floor. If she had been nervous before, now she felt her knees starting to shake a bit. Nicky, on the other hand, had a blast at seeing her friend in such distress. It wasn't a common sight and not many people could say that they had been graced with the vision of Alex with a slightly panicky face. "Chill your pants down, Vause. We, my friend, are going to rock the shit out of this place." Nicky gulped at her drink with a smirk adorning her face. "Besides, we've performed at The Oscars, remember? There were millions watching us on TV and we were fucking marvelous. Even Red said so."

Alex had remembered that evening slightly differently. Most of the night she had been forced to fight back the tears and right after that she told Red that she would never ever perform that specific song again. Ever. And thank God she never had to. Even Red could understand that request.

"How did Red manage to get _the_ Dodger Stadium?" Alex grinned suddenly. She had always wished to perform here but never in her wildest dreams would she see herself actually doing it.

"I'm not entirely sure I want to know..." Nicky chuckled.

Alex's phone buzzed in her pocket. She had sent Piper a message with all the info about the show but she hadn't received the answer from the blonde and was hoping that that buzz indicated just that. Now that she knew that Larry was an asshole, a dangerous one at that, each period, even the shortest, of quietness from Piper made Alex anxious. Her brows furrowed that the message actually wasn't from the blonde.

Polly: [Hi, Alex. See I can use your actual name :P Piper made me text you. Laura flushed her cell in the toilet (long story) and Piper is now panicking that we won't know where to go to get to the VIP lounge so, please, send the directions to me or I will have to kill a certain blonde to have some peace of mind.]

"Hey, Nichols… Is there an Apple store near here?" Alex asked while she typed the answer to Polly's text.

"I think so, yeah. Why?"

"Nothing. I need a phone." She smiled to herself.

XxXxX

Piper and Polly were slowly heading towards the side door that Alex had described in her last text. Someone was supposed to be waiting there for them and all they had to do was to give this guy their names and he would take them to the VIP area where the rest of the band's guests would be chilling out. The blonde was getting a little more anxious the closer they were getting to the VIP entrance.

"Pipe, please, don't panic. It's just a show. You know these people. Hell, even I remember them, so don't look as if you were to die there." Polly stopped walking and turned her full attention to her friend who looked as if she was about to have a pure panic attack.

"I know, Pol… It's just that I haven't seen them… in… fucking forever. And the last time I actually tried talking to Nicky she was pretty close to bludgeoning me to death so…" She took a long shaky breath and looked at the short brunette with honest worry in her blue eyes. "I don't want to talk about those times and probably I would have to and I'm not so sure I'm ready for that. Even me and Alex never talk about it. It's just too much, I guess. And what if Nicky still wants to chop my head off? I wouldn't blame her really, it's just…" Another shaky breath.

"You're going to make yourself go crazy." Polly took her hand. "Come on. They expect you there. Alex expects you there. Stop being a sissy." She led the blonde around the building and what they saw made them stop in their tracks. "The fuck…" Polly whispered before she managed to stop herself.

"Shit… That's a lot of guests…" Piper said as she continued to stare at a quite big crowd surrounding the side entrance with a huge neon 'VIP SECTION' sign over it. When they got closer it turned out that most of these people didn't have the invitations and were just hoping to get in thanks to their high skills of charming one of the bouncers. Yet, the men seemed to be unfazed by the beautiful girls around them.

Piper and Polly walked up to the gate tentatively.

"Your name, madam?" A tall muscular guy asked the blonde with a sarcastic smile on his lips. He was actually pretty handsome with bright eyes and white toothy grin. He probably tried to be nice but Piper didn't blame him for being tired of getting rid of all those fans.

"Piper Chapman and Polly Harper." Piper smiled at him and his face immediately became more friendly even without looking at the list in his hand. He turned around to one of his friends.

"Hey, Bennett! Vause's guests are here." He shouted loud enough to make everyone around Piper and Polly turn and look at them in awe.

"Damn, girl. She's your family?" Some tall brunette asked Piper.

"No. She's a friend." Piper smiled at her politely. She didn't want to start a conversation with anyone from that crowd. She felt quite intimidated by so many people.

"Vause doesn't have friends. Everybody knows that. Who are you really? One of her fuck buddies? What did you do to get invited again, huh?" The girl laughed but she didn't seem unpleasant, rather amused.

"Excuse me?" Piper's eyebrows went all the way up in surprise and Polly just laughed.

"Oh, c'mon. Everybody knows that Bennett gets her one night stands from the crowd. Never a blonde before, though." Some other girl commented with annoyance. "I don't know what I'm doing here…" She started to leave and Piper turned back to the first girl.

"One night stands?"

"Yeah." The girl laughed. "But since you're on the list… Well that's a first. Congrats."

"Piper? Polly? Let's get going. It's kinda crazy out here." Bennett finally came to get them inside. He started telling them about the whereabouts and who was where and when the actual show would start but Piper was unable to focus on his words. She was just hoping that Polly was listening to him.

She finally managed to snap out of it when they entered the huge stadium. It had been already packed with people and the enormity of it all was breathtaking. There were people chanting the band's name. It was so loud that Piper had a problem hearing her own damn thoughts… But actually she was glad for that this time. She really had enough of thinking about Alex and her… girls… It made her angry… And the fact that she was angry at Alex for no reason at all made her… well… furious. A fact which was immediately noticed by a Polly who was now standing next to the blonde with a poorly hidden smirk on her face. A smirk that Piper would love to smack out of her but that would only made the things worse.

"Here we are. The gate to the VIP zone is right here. You'll find there the rest of our little crowd. Lemme give you your badges." Bennett gave one to each of them. "Have a splendid evening, ladies." He grinned goofily and was gone.

"You ready for this?" Polly looked at Piper.

"Sure." The blonde smiled but deep inside her stomach was doing somersaults and she could feel her palms sweating like crazy. She knew she wouldn't see the girls from the band anytime soon but she was sure to meet their partners and families in that zone and Piper wasn't sure how much they all knew about her. She was hoping that next to none. They were about to enter the gate when Bennett was back again.

"I almost forgot. Alex wanted you to have this." He passed her a small box.

"What is it?" She asked him surprised.

"Hell if I know." He flashed her his white grin. "Have fun!" And off he went once again.

Polly was also intrigued by this so she encouraged her blond friend to open the gift. To Piper's surprise she saw that there was a brand new iPhone with a little post-it note – _"All I need is your SIM card. :)"_

"Nice." Polly smirked again.

"Damn. I don't want it."

"Are you nuts? Stop being such a fuss and accept a nice present when you get one." The brunette took the device out of the box and started maneuvering in order to get it ready to work.

"But it's too much. I shouldn't let her give me expensive gifts. That's not right." Piper insisted.

"Sure it's right. She's rich like a fucking Rockefeller."

"She's not." Piper rolled her eyes but Polly just stared at her with an extended hand holding a phone which was ready to be used but the blonde refused to take it. "It doesn't feel right."

But the goddamn device surprised both of them when it started to ring, making Polly jump at the feeling of its buzzing in her palm. She looked at the screen to check who was calling.

"She wants to talk to you, I assume, my dear." Polly answered the phone and pushed into Piper's hands before the blonde had even the slightest chance to protest. Then, she took her other hand and led her through the gate. She figured that Piper would be too focus on the phone call and wouldn't notice them actually walking inside. And she was right since she felt her friend follow her obediently in.

" _Hello?"_ Piper asked tentatively.

" _So it's working. Good."_ She head Alex's velvety voice full of merit. _"I'm glad you guys made it. I hope Bennett was nice."_

The blonde smiled. How did Alex always manage to make her feel less stressed out even by just a single sentence. Hell, just the pure sound of her voice was able to calm Piper's shaky nerves.

" _He's a charm."_ She smiled into the receiver.

" _Listen, I told Lorna you guys would come. She'll probably…"_ And right then Alex was able to hear Lorna's squealing and welcoming Piper and Polly. She could distinguish that New York accent just anywhere. _"…Yeah, she'll probably welcome you there but I guess she just got you, ha?"_ She chuckled into the phone.

Piper tried to listen to what Alex was saying but was also busy hugging a short woman back. The cute brunette with bright red lips even didn't wait for any introduction. This whole situation was a bit overwhelming to the blonde but she decided to go with the flow… What other choice did she really have.

" _She can be a bit intense, but she's the best. You'll figure this out on your own pretty soon."_ She heard Alex amused voice. Lorna was now hugging Polly and saying something to her and Piper used that occasion to talk to the singer.

" _Yeah… She is intense, alright."_ She chuckled still in disbelief. " _But seems nice."_

" _Yep. She's nice."_ A little pause. _"Thank you for coming tonight. I'll see you later. Red, our manager and Bennett will get you backstage together with the others. I gotta go now and get ready."_

Alex was about to hang up but the blonde stopped her. She really wanted to thank her for the phone and the invitation and the warm welcome and for trying to make her feel a little bit less anxious. Of course that's why she called her immediately as soon as her phone had been activated again. She was probably freaking out with stage-fright. Who wouldn't if they were to perform in front of so many, many people. Yet, Alex chose to call her and calm her down. She knew that the blonde would be nervous at the prospect of meeting her old friends.

" _Al, wait."_

" _Yeah?"_ Piper could hear Nicky's voice from somewhere in the background telling Alex to 'hurry the fuck up.'

" _Break a leg."_ Piper laughed into the phone instead of telling her all that she truly wanted to tell. Somehow she felt that it wasn't a good time for being a softy. Maybe later. She heard Alex's rich rumbling laughter over the phone.

" _Thanks, kid. Have fun."_ And then the line was dead. She turned to look for Polly. She probably wanted to give Piper some space to have a somewhat private conversation with Alex. She finally spotted her standing with Lorna and her friend waved at her from a few feet away, beckoning her to come over.

"Hey there. This lovely creature right here is Lorna, Nicky's girlfriend." Polly smiled at the petite brunette.

"Oh, sorry for not introducing myself properly to you earlier but you were busy talking on the phone, sweetie." She hugged Piper again. "C'mon guys let me introduce everybody." She led them to the small crowd standing closer to the stage. "And let's make it fast. The show's about to start." She grinned, clearly excited.

Soon both Piper and Polly knew the names of everybody around them. First, they met Jessica and Soso, the first being Stella's girlfriend and the other Poussey's. Piper could swear that she had seen Jess before and soon it dawned on her that she had indeed – on TV. As it turned out, the girl was also a musician and a singer, currently on holiday and traveling together with the band. Soso was a little quieter and more shy than the other but equally friendly.

And then there were Sarah and Josh. Piper recognized the redhead immediately and she felt heat rising in her cheeks at the memory of what she had assumed when she had seen the newspaper. God, she hoped that Alex hadn't mentioned this to the tall woman. Fortunately, Sarah didn't say anything about it. She had probably seen the newspaper as well and since even Josh was in a perfectly fine mood, Piper assumed that everything was alright now.

"God, I'm nervous. Poussey has been stressed out all day." Soso whined.

"You Chinese people are always so serious." Lorna exclaimed. "They're going to be just fiiiineee."

"I'm Scottish and Japanese." Soso deadpanned looking annoyed and everybody just giggled at her.

"C'mon, she didn't mean to offend you. She's just blind." Sarah patted the petite girl's back in order to placate her a bit. She hadn't known Soso for a long time but what she had seen so far, she was quite a fighter when it came to racial issues and so on.

"Somebody just needs to…" Soso started again but she was stopped by a sudden darkness. All the lights went out and the audience became wild. It was pitch black and super loud for a while… and then there were the drums. Loud, breathtaking, repetitive, deep sounds. They were meant to rile the audience up and they did an awesome job. People were going crazy with anticipation. Then, there was the bass guitar with the same pulsar pace and the lights on the sides of the stage started to throb to the rhythm of the beat. Piper could feel her excitement growing together with the level of the crowd's screams. The tension in the huge stadium was palpable. The loud electric guitars came with all the energy and force that only a rock band could produce. And then there she was. Standing in all her tall glory with a guitar in her hands as well. All the lights were on her. Alex looked stunning in her leather pants and tight black top. Her hair was wild, her make-up was flawless, beautiful red lipstick and black eyeliner made her face even more astonishing than usual. Yes, Piper could see that clearly – that's how close the VIP area was to the stage. Her mouth went dry.

"God, just look at them!" Lorna jumped up and down with pure joy at seeing the girls on the stage. Yes, she was right. All of them were awesome. Happiness and excitement was oozing out of them and it made Piper's heart swell with pride. Lorna was right. The Gang was a smashing success.

Yet, Piper's eyes kept coming back to the brunette who was now walking on the special catwalk, having fun with the crowd, letting them sing along with her. People loved her. They were eating out of her hand. She mesmerized them. Hell, Piper was hypnotized as well.

"She's breathtaking." She heard Polly whisper in her ear in awe. Apparently, the blonde wasn't the only one having problems with taking her eyes off of Alex. She smirked.

The show went on for almost three hours. Piper had been to many concerts before but it was the longest she'd ever experienced. The Gang really wanted to leave their fans with unforgettable memories. Nicky was going crazy on the stage, jumping and running around, throwing a lot of jokes in between the songs, making people laugh and love her even more. Although, two other things the audience found even more amusing.

First was the moment when someone threw a huge teddy bear with a heart onto the stage. Unfortunately, the thrower wasn't the best at aiming and the big fluffy toy hit Stella right at the back of her head. Instead of being angry, the little brunette laughed and threw the toy at Poussey, making her lose the beat of her drums for a second which in turn made Alex laugh hard enough to stop singing. Thankfully, the crowd was totally ready to do it for her.

All the musicians were now relaxed, the stage-fright was gone and instead of stressing, the girls were having the best night of their lives. And then the second hilarious thing happened. One of the bodyguards didn't do his job too well at paying attention to the crazy fans and let one of them run onto the stage in the middle of one of their hit songs. When Piper saw the girl running towards Alex, her heart stopped beating for a second. She panicked that that someone could hurt the brunette. Thankfully, the wild teenager was stopped by another bodyguard literally five feet from the singer. Yet, Alex instead of letting the man get the girl off the stage, walked up to them and made him release her from his firm grip. She hugged her while singing and took several selfies. Then she took the phone from her hands and made a short film of the crowd and the band and them together. The poor girl was so shocked that she was just standing there helpless with mouth gaping and people couldn't contain their laughter.

The rest of the show went as it had been planned. The audience was crazy, the girls were magnificent, the music was awesome and Alex was shining like a true star that she was. There was only one last surprise left at the very end of the show.

"Hey, guys, you're amazing!" Alex shouted laughing to the microphone and the crowd reacted to her immediately making her wait for quite a long while before she was able to say anything else. "We've got one last little thing for you." She announced and again the audience went crazy, forcing her to stop giving her mini speech. The only sound coming from the speakers was her velvety laughter. Since the crowd didn't seem to give up the cheering and clapping anytime soon, Alex managed to throw a look directly at Piper, first time since the show had begun, and winked at her with a toothy grin. Piper's stomach did a small somersault at seeing Alex's glistening emerald eyes and the pure joy that was shining from them. Then the brunette turned her attention back to the crowd and their little moment was over.

"We, The Gang…" she pointed behind herself at the rest of her band-mates "…have an utmost pleasure to present to you…" she pointed at the huge stadium "…our lovely, wonderful, amazing fans…" she laughed as she was once again stopped by the creams "…our brand new song. Hope you'll like it." Now the audience simply roared and whatever Alex said next was lost in the noise.

Soon the huge stadium was filled with quite intriguing sounds. Piper could swear it was a guitar but she wasn't sure of what kind. And then the lights focused on Nicky who was holding a small, cute-looking mandolin.

"Is that a joke?" Polly laughed but Piper just grinned.

"Just wait." She smiled without looking at her best friend. She was too busy admiring the band.

Soon the rest of the instruments joined Nicky and the sound of it all was great. Now it finally did sound like a rock-pop happy song. Alex was laughing at the beginning upon seeing her fans' surprised expressions. The moment she started singing, Piper knew that this would be another hit. It just had to be. And when the band finally got to the chorus, the crowd went wild.

 _I don't ever want to let you down  
I don't ever want to leave this town  
Cause after all  
This city never sleeps at night_

 _It's time to begin, isn't it?  
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit  
I'm just the same as I was  
Now don't you understand  
I'm never changing who I am_

Piper looked around. Everybody was clapping with the song's rhythm. People were having so much fun. Her little crowd of the band's family and friends were also having a blast. Polly acted as a crazy fan as well and it made Piper laugh.

And Alex was right. She had never changed, she stayed the same despite the fact that her life hadn't been easy at all. Those paparazzi and journalists were so wrong when they wrote that the brunette was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

"Just look at her now, Pol." She whispered in awe to her friend who was standing right next to her.

"What? I didn't catch that." Polly shouted at her.

"She's amazing." She said much louder right into Polly's ear.

"I can't believe what I'm about to say but yes, Pipe, she's fucking awesome." Polly grinned.

XxXxX

It was almost an hour later before Piper and Polly finally got to the backstage. First, they had to wait for the several bodyguards who were supposed to lead them there. Then it turned out that there had been a slight change of plans and they had to be transported to the building adjoined to the stadium because actually the whole band was there.

Now the girls and the rest of the guests were having a drink in a nice cozy room dedicated to small parties for the VIPs. Alex and the rest of her band were still absent because they first had to meet with some of their fans who won the meet and greet vouchers in a radio competition. They also had to refresh themselves and change their clothes since they were all planning to go clubbing straight from the stadium.

Piper felt that her anxiety was kicking its way to the surface again. She couldn't wait to see Alex but facing the other girls made her extremely nervous. She was trying to numb her brain with the second drink but somehow she felt that that wouldn't be enough to calm her down.

"I know I've already told you this and I _really_ hate to repeat myself, Pipe: calm down. They're not going to eat you alive. If they were plotting to cut your throat wide open, they would have done that in some dark alley, not in the middle of a party full of people." Polly sniggered and right at that moment Lorna came back to the room. She had decided to go and to check on the band.

"Honey bun, they wanna see you." Lorna waved at Piper and the blonde stood up on shaky legs even though she was fighting hard to appear confident. Polly followed her suit. "Not you, Pol, sorry." Lorna apologized.

Piper turned to her friend. "What did you say about them wanting me to be alone with them and not in a middle of a party full of people?" She raised her eyebrow and Polly just chuckled pushing the blonde to go and meet the girls.

Lorna showed her where to go and Piper started to walk along a long, actually quite dark, corridor. _Fucking Polly…_ \- she thought to herself. She was wondering in which of the rooms the girls were actually waiting. There were many doors but each that she passed was fairly quiet. After a few more meters she heard a familiar laughter. She could recognize that deep velvety voice just anywhere. It seemed that Alex was in a good mood and then she heard Stella laughing her ass off as well. Piper finally faced the closed black door and her hands started to shake. She was standing there for a minute or two to gain some more courage when suddenly the door flung open and she was met with Poussey's smiling face. She looked as if she had been running from someone and was now stopped in her tracks.

"Piper…" Her smile became even bigger but right as she was getting ready to hug the blonde she was hit with a splash of icy-cold water. She turned around on the spot. "You motherfucking kangaroo!" She chased Stella back to the room leaving the door open. Piper just stood there shocked. Thankfully, Poussey had taken most of the impact, but still part of Piper's hair was wet and her make-up… well… there was no make-up on her face anymore.

"Oh, look what cat's brought in." Piper heard Nicky scornful voice and she looked up to see the wild-haired woman smirking at her. She was mocking her but yet the blonde had the feeling that it was a friendly banter rather than introduction to some vengeful tirade. Nicky's eyes sparkled with mischief and… warmth that Piper had missed so much through the years. Except Alex, the lion-head girl was her closest friend back in the days.

"Hi, Nicky." She smiled tentatively at the shorter woman.

"That's it? _'Hi, Nicky'_? Really?" Nicky wouldn't let her off the hook so easily. The blonde was sure of that. Besides, Piper knew that her ex-friend(?) deserved some kind of explanation.

"I…" She started but soon was pulled into a bear-hug which caught Piper totally off guard so instead of saying something she just hugged Nicky back…hard.

The fact was that Nicky Nichols might not have acted like it… but she was a softie deep down inside and the more Alex had talked about Piper, the more Nicky had found herself missing her old friend. When finally the brunette had admitted that she had had some suspicions that Piper might be in trouble, it was Nicky who almost bolted immediately to get her to Alex's apartment and the singer had to explain to her over and over again that nothing was sure and that they needed to give Piper some space before doing anything, let the blonde open up to them first.

So yeah, Nicky was standing there hugging Piper really hard. She hadn't planned on that but when she saw her friend, she just needed to do that. Why the fuck would she hold a grudge when even Alex herself was over it. Truth was she had missed her. They all had missed her and now Piper was back and that was the most important. The rest could wait for better explanation and deeper talk.

"C'mon, blondie. Let's get you some towel and you can grab some make-up from Alex. She's just gone to take a shower but should be here any minute." Nicky finally dragged Piper inside a quite big room. There was another door leading probably to the bathroom because squeals and laughter was heard coming from there. Apparently Stella and Poussey were still fighting and somehow Alex got dragged into it since her voice was the loudest now. It seemed that she was trying to calm the girls down.

When Pennsatucky saw Piper she immediately walked up to her and hugged her as well. "It's so good to see you, College." She smiled at her. "I'm sorry for those idiots. Poussey was taking forever to go and get a shower and Stella decided to help her with the decision making process."

Piper laughed. She suddenly felt completely at ease as if the old times were back. The girls were treating her perfectly normal. In fact, they appeared to be happy to see her and none of them asked any uncomfortable questions. Maybe Alex had lectured them or something? Piper wasn't really sure of that but if she had done that, she had to be very convincing because all the girls were acting… well… normal. It made Piper feel normal, too and she was grateful for that. It had been a while since the last time she felt that way. Forever really. That must have been in another lifetime.

Yet, Piper felt that she needed to say something about the long time that had passed since she had seen the girls the last time.

"It is _so_ good to see you guys." She smiled as a warm blush covered her face. Nicky threw a towel over her head.

"Here, dry yourself off. There's still gonna be time to get wet tonight." She wiggled her eyebrows and Piper laughed out loud.

"My God… You'll never change, Nichols." She giggled.

"I don't plan to, thank you very much." Nicky slumped down on a very comfy looking couch and grabbed her beer. "Here, take a drink. Those morons gonna take forever to get here."

"I think I'll skip a drink for now, thanks. I've already had one too many in the other room."

"Why? Nervous?" Nicky was blatant, Piper had to admit that. She had never beaten around the bush and that hadn't changed either apparently. On the other hand, the blonde was thankful that Nicky addressed the elephant in the room and turned it into a friendly banter rather than serious talk.

"Yeah. I kind of thought you would murder me and bury my body somewhere in the forest." She chuckled at her admission.

"Hmm… That was a plan a few years ago." Pennsatucky laughed and Nicky's eyes threw daggers at her band mate.

"It's OK, Nicky. I deserved that." She smiled sadly.

The door to the bathroom opened and Alex walked into the room. Her hair looked freshly washed and modeled, her eye-liner was ideal, making her big green eyes even bigger, her red lips looked perfect. She all looked perfect… except her white shirt was all wet and it clang to her body like second skin.

"Those fuckheads need to grow up." She laughed upon entering the room. "Pipes, you're here!" She noticed the blonde and walked up to hug her but stopped herself suddenly. "Sorry, I shouldn't do that."

"Yeah, God forbid you make her all wet." Of course Nicky just had to say something like that. She. Just. Had. To. Period.

"Nicky!" Both Piper and Alex turned their head to their friend in annoyance.

"What?" She made a face as if she had just said something completely innocent but judging by Pennsatucky's laughter Nicky's statement was far from that.

"Damn, that's gonna be interesting." Pennsatucky laughed some more.

"I need to get changed again." Alex continued to look into her bags in order to find something to wear that would be appropriate for a night out in the club.

"Lorna told me to get here, that you guys wanted to see me now before you meet the rest of the people. I thought you were ready to go out."

The girls looked at Piper with surprised expressions on their faces.

"Well… We didn't tell her to get you here but it's nice that you're here so maybe she wasn't that wrong." Nicky chuckled at her girlfriend's little scheme.

"Oh." Piper's jaw dropped.

"So, oh, since you're here." Alex gave Piper a beer. "Make yourself comfortable, have a drink and I'm going to go and make those two assholes hurry up." She grinned.

XxXxX

The club was packed with people and even though Piper, The Gang and their other guests had their table in a special VIP area with its own separate dance floor, where most mortals had no access, there were still enough people around to feel that the night was extra special. All of the other table booths were occupied as well and the blonde could recognize several people from the film industry, as well as other singers and musicians. This place was obviously very popular among the show business folk. Most of them knew Alex and the girls and often came by to say hello and drink a shot or two with them. Polly couldn't stop grinning like a fool when Jared Leto in the flesh appeared by their table as well. As it turned out, him and Alex were good friends ever since they had met in one of the recording studios. He actually partied with them much longer than the rest of the celebrities (much to Polly's enjoyment since she seemed to be mesmerized by the man and Piper had to remind her with laughter that the brunette was actually a married woman).

The time flew fast and all of them were having a lot of fun. Poussey, Nicky, Pennsatucky and Stella were extremely happy that Piper was with them and most of the night so far they spent drinking and talking, not even moving to the dance floor once. The rest of the girls were busy dancing their assess off with Josh, who definitely did not complain about that excess of attention.

Alex was sitting by their table on the opposite side of Piper and she was quietly observing the whole scenario with sparkling eyes. This whole reunion thing had gone much better than she had anticipated and it made the brunette feel elated. She enjoyed seeing Piper so at ease, relaxed with a constant smile plastered to her beautiful face. Her giggles and laughter sent little sparks down her spine. Nicky seemed to notice Alex's goofy smile and after their drinks were emptied once again she nudged the brunette to get to the bar with her.

"What's up with you, stretch?" She asked while they were waiting for their drinks.

"What do you mean?" Alex was truly perplexed with her friend's question. She wasn't aware there was anything up with her.

"You're sitting there like a fucking zombie with a creepy smile stuck to your face. Why aren't you're having fun with the others?" Nicky wasn't letting go.

"I _am_ having fun." Alex laughed.

"OK… Not your typical celebrating style, I see." The brunette just stared at her with a confused expression so Nicky cared to explain this time. "Well… Normally, you would drink much more, dance much more, pick up girls much more and finally come back to your lavish hotel suite with one of them on your arm. Today, you're behaving like a creep. You don't need to babysit Piper. We won't eat her alive. Hell, even Polly vanished somewhere on the dance floor." She chuckled thinking about the shorter brunette.

"Nick… I am having fun. Really."

"When's the last time you got laid, Vause? You're losing your touch." Nicky laughed.

"Oh for Christ sake, Nicky…" Alex just shook her head in amusement. On the other hand, her lion-haired friend, despite being batshit crazy, was also kinda right this time. It was a fact that everybody in the band had noticed. Ever since meeting Piper again, Alex's crazy party escapades stopped. Hell, she even didn't remember when was the last time she went clubbing before today or actually picked up some girl. Even John, her bodyguard who normally arranged some nice company for her, was surprised that those specific guests of Alex's backstage rooms were no longer invited. Nicky might have been right – Alex needed to relax. Why would she abstain herself from having some extra fun tonight? She definitely did deserve it. _Besides… It's not that I'm waiting for Piper to come around, right?_ Just a pure thought of that being the case infuriated Alex. She wasn't angry at the blonde, of course not. She was mad at herself for that kind of thought even crossing her mind for a second. She and Piper were friends. Good friends. Things were going good. Future seemed to be good for them… _So why have I been so not good lately?_ This question only made Alex more anxious about the whole situation. After a while of contemplating Alex made up her mind. She needed her life back on track again. If she and Piper were really to be friends, Alex had to push stupid ideas off of her mind.

"Although, maybe you're right. I need to let it go a bit." Alex grinned at her best buddy.

"There you go!" Nicky smacked her on the back. "Now c'mon. Let's leave the drinks at our table and you can go get yourself some pussy."

"Jesus…" Alex couldn't help laughing out at Nicky. "You're obnoxious sometimes."

"And you love it!" Nicky grinned back.

When they got back to their table Poussey, Stella and Pennsatucky were gone. They had joined the rest of their friends on the dance floor finally deciding to start the real celebrating. Most of them were already quite inebriated but they didn't really care. Actually, moving a bit to the beat would only do them good. Help them refresh their minds.

"Drinks for our pretty lady." Nicky chuckled as she put the tray with glasses right in front of Piper.

"Oh my God, I hope you don't expect me to drink all of those shots by myself." The blonde laughed.

"Still a lightweight?" Alex grinned down at her.

"C'mon, let's dance some." Nicky reached out her hand for Piper but the blonde refused to accept it. She really didn't think it would be the brightest of ideas to go and dance with the rest of their little crowd. She was feeling more and more tipsy by the second and Alex was stunning, her constant toothy happy smile was turning Piper to mush and she had to keep the safe distance. She didn't trust herself enough to just get up and dance right next to the brunette without even touching her. That could prove to be too hard to control for Piper in her present state of mind and her level of intoxication.

"I'm not into dancing tonight, Nicky, I'm sorry. But you two go ahead and have some fun. I'll keep our drinks safe." She winked at her friends. Alex was a little confused by the odd behavior. As far as the brunette was aware of, Piper loved to dance. Back in the days she would never ever let Alex sit by the bar when they went clubbing. Hell, she would dance the whole night away, making Alex exhausted. She wanted to push Piper a bit to actually get up and dance with them but when she looked into the blonde's eyes, she saw her almost begging not to ask questions. This intrigued her even more but she did decide to let it slide this time. Before she could say anything to her ex-girlfriend, Nicky had been already pulling her purposely in the direction of the dance floor so she just laughed and let herself being dragged. Piper just smiled and waved them goodbye.

She watched them join the rest of their group. Nicky was immediately abducted by Lorna and Piper laughed to herself. The two were simply adorable and even though Nicky was trying to play cool and hard to get, it was so easy to see that she loved the other woman. It showed in her every gesture, every time she looked at the NYC girl she had not only typical mischief hidden in her eye but also warmth. Piper was happy to see her friend so smitten. It was kind of unusual, she had to admit that, yet not any less adorable. Jessica was dancing with Stella. It was quite obvious that the shorter brunette had had a little bit too much to drink and Jess now had to basically drag her to make her move. It looked ridiculous and cute at the same time. Piper did all she could to contain the laughter coming out of her but when she saw how Polly, Pennsatucky and Alex were now going bananas on the dance floor, she was unable to stop the roaring laugher. Soon, her best friend got tired though so she decided to join the blonde by the table and let Alex deal with Pennsatucky by herself.

"Oh my God… They're insane." Polly sat down with a thump next to Piper and immediately took a big gulp of her drink. She scrunched her face right afterwards. "The fuck is that?" She asked with disgust. Piper took a seep herself and ended up with the same facial expression.

"This must be Nicky's." She sniggered. The drink was strong enough to make a whole army of people knocked out. "She's never going to change. I don't know how on earth she can drink so much and still appear semi-sober."

"Must be the habit. Her liver got used to it years ago." Polly slurred. She was also getting a little bit more than tipsy. It seemed that only Piper managed to keep her cool and drink moderately. She did feel the effect of the alcohol but she was far from being drunk. "Ugh huh… Seems that someone's got some company." Polly suddenly said as she continued to stare at the dance floor and Piper followed her sight.

Alex wasn't dancing anymore. She was standing in the middle of the dance floor with an extremely beautiful blond girl who was hugging her closely and it seemed that she was whispering something into the brunette's ear, making her grin. She whispered something back and the blonde laughed out loud shaking her head at Alex. It looked as if they had known each other for a while. Their body language clearly stated that they had known each other pretty well in fact, pretty intimately… And they seemed to have that comfortable easiness between each other. They didn't act as if they were just hooking up tonight. Piper knew that expression on Alex's face. It wasn't just pure lust, it was something more and it made her heart sunk a bit. She also had a funny feeling that she had seen the woman before but she couldn't remember where. Looking at the two was getting difficult and Piper turned back around to Polly and before her friend could utter any word, she chased two tequila shots down her throat making it burn like hell.

Suddenly, she could feel someone sitting next to her with a thud. It was Stella. Jessica had finally managed to make her girlfriend come back to the table and drink some lemon water. She would be thankful for that later. Piper forced herself to laugh at her friend. She really didn't want anyone notice that her mood had shifted right when she noticed Alex flirting with some other girl. That was ridiculous in the first place. Piper had no right to expect the brunette to remain single her whole life. She, Piper, was married after all so no wonder Alex had no interest in her. Damn, she probably would never look at her _like that_ ever again, even if Piper wasn't taken.

"Pfff… It's gonna be interesting again." Stella giggled and Piper turned her head to her friend forcing herself to take her burning eyes off of Alex and the blonde who were now slowly dancing, still whispering something to each other.

"What do you mean?" She asked the still giggling girl but instead of giving her a straight answer Stella started to sing quietly with a wicked grin plastered onto her face.

" _I wear my nine-inch heels when we go to bed… I paint the color of my lips blood red… I get so animal like never before… So you press play and I hit record…"_ Stella drunkenly sang and Piper recognized one of The Gang's song immediately. So that was about the mysterious blonde? _"_ _'Cause we're dysfunctional physical… Always slamming doors… You're a bitch, throwing fits… Always waging wars… Me and you, Sad but true… We're not us anymore but there's still one thing we're good for."_ Stella wiggled her eyebrows and laughed some more. "Meet the famous Andrea Gordon. Tadaaaa…"

Piper felt a struck of illumination hitting her hard. Of course she had seen that face before. It was on every fashion magazine cover, every fashion TV channel, yet on none of the gossip magazines. The enigmatic Andrea Gordon. Beautiful, smart, witty. Previously a model, now successful entrepreneur and a leader of a huge fashion house.

"Andrea Gordon. An ex Victoria's Secret angel." Piper finally said with awe. She didn't know that Andrea was gay. Actually, nobody knew much about her. She was a very private person.

"Well… I know her more as Alex's ex." Stella said and Piper's eyes widened in surprise. "Well more like ex-turn-now-favorite-fuck-buddy." She added after a while and Piper forced her gaping mouth shut finally. Of course she knew that Alex must have had someone after her. What the fuck was Piper thinking?

"Oh." Was all that she managed to utter after Stella's revelations and instead of saying anything more Piper just dawned another shot… and another when she heard Polly giggling next to her. She knew what her friend was thinking and she didn't like the fact that the brunette could read her so well. When she looked back at the dance floor Alex and Andrea were gone and Piper was pretty sure she knew where the two were headed. She picked another shot up and clinked it with Polly's and Stella's. "Cheers." She forced a smile onto her face. "For the new beginning." She swallowed hard.

"We'll drink to that, too!" She heard Nicky's voice next to her. The rest of their little crowd came back to the table to get some rest. Everyone was back except Alex, of course, and Piper forced herself hard not to think about her absence anymore.

XxXxX

They were at the club's rooftop. It was a hot night and the sky was completely cloudless making the stars shine with all their power. There were no other people there and the expensive-looking outside sofa was surrounded by greenery, making it completely hidden from the world. No one else knew about this spot except Andrea. She owned the club, a fact that not many people knew about either. Except her closest co-workers, only Alex was aware of it. Maybe that's why she chose this place to celebrate the band's tour finale. Maybe somehow subconsciously she was hoping to meet Andrea here.

And she did meet her, yes she did, and now was lying on the sofa with the beautiful blonde pinning her down, placing hot kisses down her neck. Alex could feel her whole body slowly coming alive, something that she hadn't felt in months now. Yeah, she knew that if there was anyone in this world able to make her forget about Piper that was Andrea. Maybe they weren't a match made in heaven when they were together but the sex part was still heavenly and that's why they continued to fall into each other's beds almost every time life crossed their paths. A fact which still managed to make the girls in the band chuckle every damn time they saw Andrea around. They knew all about them but Alex didn't care… And Andrea didn't care either as long as they kept their mouths shut. The brunette wondered what Piper would think of her if she knew how Alex was living her life now. She probably did figure it out, yet she had never asked any questions about it. On the other hand, Alex herself never asked about Larry either so…

"Hey…" Andrea lifted her head to look Alex in the eyes. They were now both down to their bras and pants, their shirts lying forgotten on the other sofa. "Where are you?" She asked as she cupped Alex's cheek and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

"I'm right here, doofus." The brunette giggled nervously and kissed Andrea on her soft lips. She really, really didn't want to talk right now and it was alarming that the blonde was able to notice that Alex was a bit off tonight. She kissed her back with equal intensity but as soon the kiss was over Andrea's eyes were back to Alex's and her eyebrow furrowed.

"Yes, you're here. Kissing me. Touching me. But your mind's somewhere else. I can feel that, you know." She smiled softly at her. "No matter how hard you're trying to deny that… I do know you a bit, Vause." She kissed her cheek and Alex huffed in frustration. Why did she always have to make things serious when Alex was really not into that at the moment?

"I'm sorry." Alex started to sit up but Andrea pushed her gently back down. She nestled herself next to Alex, putting her head on her shoulder, hooking her leg with Alex's and circling her waist with her arm protectively.

"It's OK." She kissed her shoulder lovingly. "I'm not much in the mood either, to be honest." Her declaration made Alex laugh quietly.

"Then why the hell did you want to have sex with me?" The brunette giggled and looked down at the girl in her arms. It felt comfortable lying like that with her. She wasn't so tense anymore.

"I don't know… Couldn't resist, I guess." This made Alex laugh some more. "Why did you want to have sex with me?" Andrea asked her back.

"I don't know… Couldn't resist, I guess." The brunette grinned and winked at her friend which only earned her a light punch into the ribs.

"Moron." Andrea smiled and kissed Alex's neck lightly. They were quiet for a long while, just gazing at the sky, before the blonde broke the silence again. "And I wanted to forget." She admitted quietly.

"About what?" Alex grew worried. Yes, they were not together anymore. Their relationship was long gone but still she did care about the woman. They had been together for over a year after all. And that one time Alex really had tried to make it work. They both had but they just weren't meant for each other. They were both too intense, too closed in their own worlds, too fucked up… and let's admit it… Alex was too in love with someone entirely else at the time. Probably she still was but she was not willing to admit that even to herself.

"Was that Piper downstairs?" Andrea caught Alex completely off guard. She was very, very good at dodging uncomfortable questions. She had always been like that. Alex just stared at her with big eyes. "Well… I guess your silence confirms that." Andrea smiled. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay."

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Alex looked down at her again.

"No." Andrea flashed her a sad smile.

"Damn, we're talkative." Alex chuckled darkly.

"Well, I'm better at using my tongue some other way." The blonde giggled.

"Your best feature." Alex laughed which earned her another shove into the ribs, this time a bit stronger. Later they just continued to lie there in silence, starring at the sky and basking in each other's warmth. Both lost in their own thoughts but neither of them was willing to voice them.

"It's getting a bit chilly here. Let's get downstairs before your friends ditch you here." Andrea stated tiredly before getting up.

"I'm sorry, Andi." Alex whispered as she grabbed her hand.

"Yeah, well… Me too." The blonde just smiled sadly.

XxXxX

They entered the VIP lounge together. The room was still packed with people and Alex could see Sarah and Josh dancing with Poussey and Soso. Pennsatucky was by the bar chatting up the bartender and the brunette chuckled at that.

"C'mon, join us at our table." Alex grabbed Andrea's hand and smiled at the woman.

"Honestly, Alex, I'm tired. Maybe some other time?" Andrea said apologetically. She really did look exhausted. It was way after 3 in the morning already and probably they would all go home soon anyway.

"Call me, OK?"

"I will." The blonde promised but the way she said it made Alex pretty sure that she wasn't going to do that. As always. And as always Alex didn't press. Andrea just kissed her on her temple. "Bye, Alex." She whispered and was gone.

Alex took a deep shaky breath and turned to face their table. She could observe it from the distance and what she saw made her laugh out loud. Stella was leaning on Jessica's shoulder, fast asleep, and the poor girl was obviously getting tired of holding her up like that. Lorna was laughing and Nicky was talking about something animatedly, still seemingly sober despite the amount of alcohol that Alex was sure she had had to consume. Polly was answering her with equal excitement. And Piper? Well… Piper's head was lying on the table and for a moment Alex thought that she was sleeping as well but then she noticed that her shoulders were shaking slightly and suddenly she wasn't sure whether the blonde was laughing or crying. She walked up to the table warily, not being sure of what to expect. Right as she approached her friends Piper's head shot up and Alex could hear roaring laughter coming from her.

"Oh my God, you're obnoxious." Polly's face scrunched in disgust.

"What? It's the best!" Nicky exclaimed and both Lorna and Piper laughed out loud again.

"What's going on?" Alex asked chuckling.

"Nicky here is trying to persuade Polly that everyone is at least bi and that Polly should try lesbian sex." Lorna tried to be calm while explaining. "Maybe she got into a bit of too much detail." She patted Polly's forearm reassuringly.

"Yeah, Pol, get yourself a nice girlfriend." Alex smirked.

"Where is _your_ nice girlfriend, Al?" Piper's eyes were on her and for a second Alex wasn't sure whether the blonde was angry or jealous or sad… All of it covered with a seemingly innocent smile that did not quite reach her eyes. For some reason this made Alex both happy and… well… uncomfortable.

" _My_ nice girlfriend? I don't have one." Alex smiled down at her. She wasn't sure whether it was safe to joke around now that Piper was drunk (a fact which was crystal clear).

"Guys, I think it's time we got home." Jessica whined as she tried to wake Stella up and Alex had never been more thankful for someone interrupting her conversation.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Lorna supported her.

Piper didn't say anything else. Suddenly she felt quite ashamed of her mini outburst and was hoping that Alex would let it slide. She really, really shouldn't have been drinking so much around the brunette. She had always been too honest after some alcohol and Piper could not allow herself for such slips of the tongue.

Slowly all of them gathered and got ready to leave. Piper was slightly swaying on her legs as they were getting out of the club so Alex grabbed her hand and put her arm protectively around her waist to help her keep straight. Polly was too busy helping Jessica drag Stella to the cab.

"Thanks." Piper smiled up at her sheepishly. "I think I might have had one too many." She giggled and Alex felt a nice warmth spreading around her body. She loved being so close to the blonde even though she knew she shouldn't.

"You think?" Alex chuckled and Piper just blushed. "That's OK. You deserved some fun tonight, Pipes."

"Yeah, I had fun, indeed. Thank you." Piper snuggled a bit closer to the taller woman and hugged her as they were standing right there on the sidewalk.

"Me too." _I fucking bet._ Piper couldn't control her own thoughts and she scolded herself internally for being such an asshole. Yet, she just smiled up at the brunette and turned around to get to the taxi when she heard Polly yelling at her to get in. "Hey, Pipes…" The blonde turned back around to face Alex. "Call me, OK?"

"I will." Piper's face lighted up and Alex was sure that Piper would do just that indeed.


	6. Chapter 6

– 6 –

Alex woke up the next day around midday. She purposely hadn't set her alarm clock. It wasn't often that she could sleep in longer and even if she could, she usually wasn't able to. Constant insomnia had been her worst friend as of lately – a fact which infuriated the brunette beyond any means. Last night/early morning she had been exhausted and she had had the feeling that this time she would be able to rest a little longer than usual. Thankfully, she was right and when she opened her eyes and saw on the bedside table alarm clock that it was almost 12 o'clock, her sleepy face was enlightened by a radiant smile.

"Good morning to me…" She whispered lazily to herself still smiling like a fool. First real holiday in years was ahead of her and she couldn't wait to just rest, read her books, go for jogs and simply let her body relax. Initially, she had been planning to go to Bora Bora but she finally decided against it. Now she was much more happy to stay in LA. Of course, she was aware what was behind her settlement. Or rather who was behind it. Alex just hoped that within the next few weeks she would be able to spend some time with Piper and Laura. Yes, the little girl was definitely included in her plans. Alex found the kid highly entertaining. She had never suspected that she herself would ever enjoy the company of children and yet here she was, conspiring a plan to take both Piper and Laura on the VIP Experience at Universal Studios Hollywood. Yep, conspiring, because the brunette was pretty sure that Larry shouldn't know about this. It was obvious to her that the man didn't react too well when he realized that she and Piper were in touch again.

Alex was wondering about going jogging before getting ready for the day but in the end she decided to let herself have a lazy day. She would worry about her trainings starting the next day. Even Sarah would probably agree with her. Today would be only a day of fun and relaxation. Maybe she could grab dinner with her band mates? She reached for her phone to call Stella. Alex suspected that the girl would be sporting the biggest hangover today so she thought it would be better to check with her first before calling the rest of their squad.

The brunette was stopped in her tracks when she saw that she had 21 unanswered phone calls and 5 unread messages. She must have forgotten to turn the sound on in her mobile last night. Her heart started to pump rapidly when she pushed the call back button to get in touch with Polly since all the missed calls were from her. She didn't even bother to read the messages first.

" _Oh my God, it's so good it's you. Why the fuck didn't you answer your goddamn phone?"_ Polly went off without even saying 'hi' and it was obvious that she was stressed out of her mind.

" _My phone was off. What happened?"_ Alex asked quickly as she was trying to get dressed at the same time. Her hands were shaking and she could feel her heart pumping blood so fast that she was afraid she would have a stroke soon if it didn't stop beating like crazy.

" _Fucking Larry happened."_ Polly stated erratically.

" _What? The fuck happened, Polly? What did he do?"_ Now Alex was in a full panic mode. She started putting her clothes on even faster than before.

" _That whiney fucker got back home earlier. He threw a tantrum… Alex, Piper's in Good Samaritan Hospital… It's not looking good."_ Polly's voice broke a little but she managed to take control over it again after a while.

" _Where's Laura?"_ Alex grew more and more anxious, if that was even still possible.

" _She's here too but she's in a much better condition"_

" _What do you mean 'in a much better condition,' Polly?"_ After a second Alex understood what that meant. _"Motherfucker…"_ She couldn't contain her anger. _"I'm gonna fucking kill him."_ She growled.

" _Just get here as fast as you can."_

XxXxX

Alex ran into the waiting room where she knew that Polly would be waiting for Piper to get back from the surgery. The shorter brunette had sent her the directions where to find her while Alex was on her way to the hospital. When the singer finally saw Piper's best friend, her worry only grew because the sight of the younger girl was miserable. Polly's eyes were red with tears and she was still wearing last night clothes. She looked exhausted.

"Alex…" Polly stood up immediately when she saw the brunette entering.

"How is she? How's Laura. Can I see them?" Alex was shaking both from anger and anticipation.

"Piper's in surgery again. They've fixed her broken arm but it's turned out that they need to remove her spleen. God, Alex I was so scared when she passed out out of the blue." Polly's voice was shaking as she was talking quietly and Alex was glad that they were seated by now because she could swear her own knees would have given out.

"How long has she been there?" Alex asked motioning to the door of the operational theater.

"It's been over an hour." She whispered.

"Where's Laura?"

"She's in the children's ward. She was sleeping last time I checked but there should be someone with her when she finally wakes up. The doctor said she has a fractured forearm and he needed to set it. She's been sleeping since her surgery."

Alex took a big shaky breath after hearing the news. Her hands were trembling and her heart was still pumping fast.

"Listen. Stay here and I'll go and wait with Laura, OK?" She asked Polly and the girl just nodded at her. "I'll call Nicky. When she gets here you'll be able to go to my place and rest for a bit…"

"No way." Polly cut her short. "I'm not moving an inch from here until I know they're both fine." She stated in a way that Alex knew there was no point in arguing with her.

"Fine. I'll tell Nicky to figure out some fresh clothes for you. I'm sure you'll be able to get a fast shower here, too." This seemed to calm the short brunette down.

"I like this plan better." She whispered resigned.

"Call me if anything changes."

XxXxX

Alex tried to behave as quietly as she only could when she opened the door to a small room. She wasn't sure whether Laura would be still asleep and she didn't want to wake her up. God knew, the little girl needed some rest after such a difficult night. The longer she stayed oblivious to the harsh world, the better. Unfortunately, there was no such luck and when the brunette stepped inside she saw that Laura was laying in bed wide awake with tears brimming in her baby blue eyes. A nurse with friendly and understanding voice was trying to explain to her that she couldn't go and see her mother now.

"Hey, kid." Alex gently whispered when she got closer to the bed. When Laura heard her voice she immediately turned her blond head to her but there was no sight of a bright smile that would typically enlighten her pretty face upon seeing the singer.

"She says I can't see mommy." She whined with trembling lips. It was easy to see that she was on the verge of crying. She must have been terrified being here alone after all that had happened. Alex just indicated to the nurse with her eyes that she had this and she sat on the bed next to the little girl as the nurse left the room.

The brunette took Laura's hand and stroked her palm reassuringly. What she really wanted to do was to hug her tight but she didn't want to cause her any pain. She could see that the girl's left arm was in a cast. It looked heavy and Laura seemed to be even smaller than she usually appeared. Alex's heart clutched in her chest and once again she had to fight hard to contain her bubbling anger. _Fucking Larry._

"I'm afraid she's right, pumpkin." Alex kissed the top of the girl's head. "But tell you what… The moment that's possible, I'll personally take you to see her, OK?"

Laura just nodded her tiny head as she was still fighting the tears.

"It's okay to cry, you know. I understand that you don't feel too well now." Alex didn't want the girl to feel even more stressed out. Sometimes crying did help. She knew that best even though nobody had ever seen her crying her eyes out.

"Only sissies cry." Laura whispered with difficulty.

"When I broke my arm I cried so loud half the hospital came to see what was going on." At hearing that Laura's eyes grew wide with surprise but a small smile tugged at her lips and Alex was glad that she managed to lift a bit of heavy load from the girl's shoulders.

"How did you break your arm?" She asked curiously.

"I fell off a goat…" Laura's laughter resonated in the room and Alex grinned at the little girl. A few tears slipped from the blonde's eyes but she didn't seem to be so distraught by them anymore.

"Why were you on a goat?" She giggled. "Besides, goats aren't that big… How could you break an arm falling from one?"

"A friend dared me. I had bad luck, I guess." Alex shrugged her shoulders with a goofy smile. "How's your arm? I know it can hurt like shit…" Alex made big eyes. "Sorry… like… a lot." She stumbled with her words, evoking another giggle from the girl and Alex's heart warmed up upon hearing it. "I can ask the doctor to give you some painkiller if you want."

"No, it's fine. I just don't like the cast." Laura grimaced.

"Heavy?"

"Nope. Just ugly." Alex laughed at that.

"We'll figure something up about that later." She promised and Laura's face lightened up again.

Alex's phone vibrated in her pocket and she retrieved it to take a look what was going on. Her hands were shaking again and she did all in her might to stop them. She didn't want Laura to see her distress because that would upset the girl for sure. The brunette didn't want her to know just yet what her mother's condition was. Hell, even Alex herself wasn't sure about that and it made her worried sick.

Nicky: [We're here. Where to find you?]

Alex: [Who's with you?]

Nicky: [Just me and Stella. Although, she could use one of those funny IVs that they give to dehydrated people.]

Alex chuckled at that. She could easily imagine that Stella was a walking zombie that day. The woman sure knew how to party hard…

"Hey, Laura…" The girl looked at her with anticipation. "Would you like Nicky and Stella to visit you?" The blonde's eyes shone with pleasant surprise.

"From The Gang? When?" She asked with giddiness and Alex was happy to be able to distract the girl's attention from her mother for so long.

"Well… In a few minutes, I guess. Of course, only if it's okay with you." She smiled when the girl nodded her head with a shy smile of her own.

Alex: [Get to the children's ward, room 507. Get some felt-tip pens. You've got a cast to cover, my ladies.]

XxXxX

Alex left Laura with Nicky and Stella. The two band mates made sure that the girl's attention stayed away from her mother and the difficult events of the day. And judging by the first drawings on Laura's cast made by the two women, the cast would have to be soon replaced. Better even before Piper could see that. Yet, it made Laura laugh and it seemed that the color of the damn thing didn't bother her so much anymore. That was the most important.

After spending with them a couple of more minutes, Alex went to find Polly. The woman had texted her that Piper was out of surgery now but still unconscious. The doctors had said that the surgery was successful but the blonde might be in a lot of pain after she woke up so it would be good if someone kept her company.

Alex entered the small dim-light room. Polly was sitting on a chair by the hospital bed, holding Piper's hand. When the tall brunette looked at her ex-girlfriend, her heart sunk. The blonde's face was covered in black and blue bruises, her lower lip was badly cut, her whole right arm was in a big cast. She looked as if she got hit by a truck and Alex could feel her blood starting to boil again. _Fucking Larry._

"Motherfucker." She whispered, her voice thick with tears. She took a deep shaky breath to calm her nerves down but it didn't seem to work. Her hands were trembling and she felt sick to her stomach. If she just could put her hands on that joke-of-a-man...

"That motherfucker is in jail." Polly looked up at her. Her eyes were also bloodshot from all the crying. She was exhausted. "Her mother called. She's on her way here." She stated but judging by the her face expression, she wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of meeting Piper's parent. It wasn't a secret that the two didn't really get along.

"What happened?" Alex asked quietly.

"Laura called me before I even managed to reach my hotel. She was crying and saying that Larry is angry and he's shouting and beating Piper." She swallowed hard. "She hid in a wardrobe after that son of a bitch pushed her down. God, I can't even imagine how she must have felt. In how much pain she had to be." A few tears slid down Polly's cheek but she brushed them away angrily. "Anyways... I got there as fast as I could and I called the police on my way there. They've arrested him. He's still in jail. That's what Carol said." Polly's anger and hurt was evident. She was fighting her tears, unsuccessfully.

Alex walked up to her and put her hand on the woman's shaking arm and the shorter brunette surprised her by turning around and hugging Alex tight. "It was such a mess, Alex." She openly cried and all the singer could do was hug her even a little bit harder.

"Shh..." She patted her back. "Thanks to you, she'll be OK. She's safe now." She whispered reassuringly. "I'll stay with her. You go, get a shower. Change your clothes and go to Laura. There are Nicky and Stella with her but I bet she would like to see you, too." She smiled down at Polly and gave her the change of clothes when they finally separated.

"Thanks." The shorter brunette whispered. She turned back around to Piper and kissed her temple. "I'll be back soon." She patted her healthy arm lightly before leaving.

Alex sat down on the chair previously occupied by Polly. She moved closer to the bed and gently took Piper's hand in her own. "You sleep tight and get better. You hear me?" She whispered quietly into her ear. "I'm right here." She kissed the hand she was holding.

XxXxX

Alex woke up to a slight buzzing in her back pocket. She retrieved her cell and looked at the shining screen. The clock showed almost 8 pm, which surprised her immensely. She must have fallen asleep while waiting for Piper to wake up. She looked up at the blonde. She hadn't even stirred. The oxygen mask was still secured safely on her mouth and nose. She was breathing calmly, still sound asleep.

Polly: [Laura is asleep but she asked me to stay with her for the night. Can you keep Piper company? Is she up yet?]

Alex: [Of course, I'll stay. She's still out. I'll text you when anything changes. Try to get some sleep, too.]

She slid her phone back to her pocket and continued to stare at Piper, slowly caressing her healthy arm. There were various monitors around them, each of them flushed with a different light and made all sort of humming noises. Piper was plugged in with three different IVs at the same time. She looked so, _so_ fragile. How could anyone ever want to hurt someone like her?

Alex continued to stroke the palm of her hand lovingly. She wasn't sure who needed that touch more, her or Piper. Probably the singer just needed it to reassure herself that the blonde was still there, still going strong despite being so close to leaving this world for good. The pure thought of that happening brought tears to Alex's tired eyes again. _Fucking, fucking Larry._ She took a deep breath... And then another. She knew that she shouldn't rile herself up, she shouldn't be mad right now because when Piper woke up, she would see the anger in Alex's eyes and the singer didn't want that. What the blonde needed right now was peace and quiet and calm and everything that's good in life.

She kissed Piper's hand tenderly. "You're going to be OK." She whispered, again not being sure who she really wanted to calm down more.

The door opened quietly and a young tall man entered the room. He was startled by Alex's presence. He obviously didn't expect the singer to be there. He walked up to Piper's bed and took a look at the monitors.

"Hi, I'm Dr Sullivan, Ms Chapman's doctor." He stated quietly while writing something down in his notes and turning his sight back to the monitors.

"Alex Vause, Piper's friend." Alex stood up from her chair and extended her hand to the doctor who shook it gently.

"Yeah, I know who you are." He smiled politely. "I'm sorry Ms Vause, but I will have to ask you to leave for a moment. I need to examine the patient. Please, wait in the corridor." Another smile, this time more timid and apologetic, but there was no need for him to feel uncomfortable. Alex understood how hospitals and doctors operated so she simply nodded her head to the request and quietly left the room.

It took Dr Sullivan more time than Alex expected and as she was standing in the corridor, she could feel her anxiety rising again. Maybe something was wrong? She was debating with herself whether she should knock on the door and ask when the doctor finally came out of the room.

"How is she? What's her condition exactly? How long will she be unconscious?..." Alex immediately attacked him with million questions by the minute. "Is she in any pain? What would she need when she's finally awake?..."

"Whoa... Please, wait... Not so fast, Ms Vause." He tried to calm her down. "She should wake up soon. We've stopped giving her the medication responsible for her unconscious state so I'm guessing she should open her eyes any minute, really." He looked down at the documents in his hand. "As for the rest of your questions, especially the one about her exact condition, I'm afraid I can't give you that information. I'm sorry." She stated calmly.

"What do you mean you can't give me that information?" Alex asked angrily. "I told you I'm her friend."

"You're not her next of kin." He tried to placate her.

"Her next of kin did that to her." She whisper-shouted at him with her hands in the air. This whole situation was getting ridiculous. She took a long breath, a millionth this evening, and looked at the man in front of her with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry... Listen, I'm just really worried sick about her. Her husband did that to her, her only child is in this hospital as well, her parents are miles and miles away... Somebody needs to take care of her, OK? If you can't tell me specifics, just tell me what she would need. I'll arrange everything." She knew she sounded desperate but she didn't give a damn.

Dr Sullivan just looked at her, seemingly contemplating something in his mind for a while before speaking again. "OK... Tell you what... I can't _give_ you the information you want." He walked to the presently empty nurses station next to them and put the file with Piper's info down on the table. "I think I'm in real need of some coffee." He smiled at her. "I'm gonna go and get it. Both of us can _get_ what we need." He started to slowly walk away but soon turned around. "Oh... And Ms Vause... I think she'll need a good psychologist when this is all over." He stated sadly and it made Alex's eyebrows shot up in surprise and worry.

When he was gone, she immediately grabbed the file he had left on the table and started reading it. __Displaced fractures of__ _the_ _ _ulnar__ _styloid base associated with a distal_ _ _radius fracture__ _… Multiple bruises of different ages … Ruptured spleen …_ Alex's eyes filled with tears but it was what she read next made them cascade down her cheeks with seemingly unstoppable flood. … SAK _performed. Positive. Results given to DS Julia Sanders. …_

"A rape kit?" Alex whispered to herself as she tried to control the flow of tears. She put the papers down. She didn't want to read them anymore. The anger flowing in her bloodstream made her fist clutch so hard that she could feel the fingernails puncturing the palms of her hands. _Fucking Larry._ She was glad that he wasn't there because only God knew what she could do to that sorry creature.

She saw a water dispenser in the corner. She drank full two cups before she finally felt her body relax a bit. She had to force herself to calm down. Going all Hulk right now didn't have any sense whatsoever and she knew that perfectly well. She needed to be calm and collected for Piper and according to the doctor, she would come around pretty soon.

Alex turned around to slowly get back to Piper's room. She saw Dr Sullivan collecting the papers and stuffing them under his arm. He held two cups of steaming coffee and offered one to Alex when she was passing by him on her way to the blonde. He didn't say anything, didn't comment on her bloodshot eyes or the trembling hands. He knew what was in that goddamn file.

"Thanks." She whispered shakily. "I should get back." He just nodded and let her go without any further conversation. It wasn't necessary.

XxXxX

It was almost midnight now and Alex was fighting to keep her eyes open. She didn't want Piper to wake up to an empty room or to her own sleeping form. She knew that the blonde would need someone to be there for her... actively. Up until an hour ago her band mates were keeping her company through numerous texts but now she was all alone with her sleeping beauty. The doctor had said that she would be up soon but Alex figured that what the man understood as 'soon' was a little bit different to what she thought. She didn't mind it that much, though. Piper needed a good rest and everybody knew that sleep could heal. Alex truly hoped that it would help this time, too.

She heard a quiet whimper and her head shot up immediately, fully alerted. She looked at the blonde who finally seemed to be coming to her senses and the wake up was obviously not a pleasant one. Piper's eyes fluttered open slowly, confusion painted all over her face. When she realized that there was something over her mouth and nose, she lifted her good hand to try to take it off in seemingly growing panic. Alex was by her side at once. She gently caught Piper's hand, preventing her form taking the oxygen mask off.

"Pipes..." She said quietly but the the blonde ignored her, too lost in the new situation, too scared. "Piper, baby... it's me, Alex." Alex didn't even register her little slip of the tongue. She touched her cheek with her fingertips, careful to avoid touching any of her bruises. "Look at me." She said a little bit louder this time. She didn't want the blonde to go into a full panic mode now and by how the things were progressing, Alex felt that the blonde would throw a tantrum in a second. Thankfully, when Piper saw the brunette leaning over her bed, she seemed to calm down a bit. She stopped fighting with Alex's hand, the one holding her own in order to prevent it from taking the mask off. "It's OK." She whispered tenderly. "You're in hospital, you're safe. Please, calm down. I'm here. Breathe."

A few tears found their way down Piper's cheeks as she lied there trying to calm herself down. Alex was there, holding her hand. Safe. Okay. Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

Alex was there.

Okay.

Piper mumbled something quietly but Alex was unable to understand any of that. "I'm going to take this mask off now, OK?" The brunette slid the device under Piper's chin. "There." She smiled at her.

"Where's Laura?" Piper asked immediately, her voice hoarse and tired.

"She's in the hospital, too. Polly is with her." Piper just nodded her head, too tired to speak again. Fresh tears sprung from her eyes but Alex wiped them away gently and kissed her temple. "She needed a little help with her forearm but she will be fine soon. Don't you worry, OK? We've got her." She smiled at her reassuringly. "Here. Take a small sip." Alex instructed as she offered her a little bit of cool water which the blonde gladly accepted. Piper's whole body felt as if it was made of lead. She didn't even have enough strength to lift herself up and this whole situation only frustrated her further. She tried to sit up a bit but it only caused more pain and she hissed through her teeth when she felt the fresh surgery wound stretch under her gown.

"Shit." Piper screw her eyes shut.

Alex was by her side in a nanosecond. "Let me help you." She assisted the blonde to sit a little bit higher on the bed so she could be more comfortable. "I turn around for a second and you already are trying to make a run for it?" She tried to make Piper laugh... but failed. The pained expression on her face indicated clearly that she would need a long time to recover. "I'll get the nurse. She'll give you some painkillers."

"No." Piper caught her arm weakly but it managed to stop Alex in her tracks. "I don't want it."

"Pipes..." The brunette looked at her with concern. She didn't want her to suffer more than it was necessary. "They'll help you."

"They make me numb and sleepy."

"OK." Alex sat down on the chair right next to the blonde. She wanted to be near her in case she needed anything. Her first bigger move indicated clearly that Piper was in no position to do anything on her own just yet but knowing the blonde, she would try to be independent as soon as it was possible and right now it wasn't advisable.

"Where is she?" Piper whispered weakly.

"Laura?" The blonde just nodded. It was still quite difficult for her to use her vocal cords. "She's two floors down, on children's ward. Polly is with her... Speaking of her... I need to text her that you're up." Alex took her phone and started a message to their friend.

"What's wrong with her arm? When can I see her?" Piper was getting agitated again and Alex took her hand gently, her thumb drawing little soothing circles over her palm.

"I know you're worried about her. We all were. But she's OK now. Her forearm is fractured and she needs to have a cast over it but the doctors say it's not going to stay there for long. She's going to be perfectly fine in no time." Ale smiled at her.

"But..." Piper started.

"Really. Trust me. She's _fine_." Alex squeezed her hand warmly.

"You say 'fine' too often." Piper whispered. "Makes me thing she's far from that."

"I'm sorry. I'll stop saying ' _fine_ ' all the time, then. I'll ask the doctor if I can bring her to you tomorrow and then you can see on your own that she's fi... She's doing well." Alex smiled tenderly at the blonde. Piper wanted to say something more but she was stopped immediately by a sharp jab of pain and she winced, making Alex sprung to her feet again. "What's wrong?" She asked shakily. Piper's face turned even whiter than it had been a second before.

The younger woman just slowly shook her head and closed her eyes as she lied her head down on the pillow, trying to wait until the pain went away.

"Pipes?" Alex was worried. She didn't like the face expression of her friend.

"S'ok..." The blonde whispered tiredly. Slowly, the ache in her abdomen decreased and she was able to take a shaky deeper breath again, even though her whole lower body felt as if it was on fire.

"I'll get the nurse." Alex offered and Piper started to protest again. It took her several minutes to calm the blonde down. She promised that they wouldn't talk about the painkillers but the doctors needed to know that their patient was finally awake.

The lady who came to check on Piper was a very nice and friendly woman in her mid-fifties. She made sure that the surgery wound was still well covered by the bandage. She also explained to Piper in more detail what the doctors had had to do during the surgery. She did offer some painkillers but, again, the blonde refused. She could be stubborn like that and for a second Alex got angry at her. Why would she force herself to endure even more pain when it could be fixed by a few pills or an IV?

After several more moments with the nurse, Piper and Alex were finally left alone again, surrounded by silence except for the few beeping sounds from the monitors. The blonde closed her eyes and was quiet for a while and Alex thought that she had fallen asleep again. That's why she was a little startled when she heard her weak voice.

"I'm sorry." There were fresh tears on her cheeks and she was obviously fighting with herself in order not to break down completely in front of Alex. "I'm _so_ sorry." Yet, it didn't seem to be working too well for her. She was trembling and no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to stop the tears from falling. Her chopped lips started do bleed a little again and Alex was immediately by her side. She wiped the blood delicately with a piece of gauze left earlier by the nurse.

"Shh... There's nothing for you to be sorry about. Stop apologizing." Alex kissed her temple and Piper reached out to hold her hand. Her touch was cold and very light, as if she had no power left in her whatsoever. She looked tiny in the big hospital bed, so fragile... broken. Alex had to fight hard her own tears. She knew she had to be strong for the both of them. "What can I do to help?" She asked, looking straight into Piper's watery baby blues.

"Can you just hold me for a minute?" She asked so quietly that for a second Alex thought that she had heard her wrong. Only the hopeful sight that the blonde was shooting her finally assured the singer that no, she did not mishear anything.

"Of course." Alex smiled down at her friend. She took off her shoes and jacket and tentatively, being extra careful not to hurt her, she lied down on the bed next to the blonde. One of her hands grabbed Piper's, her thumb making small reassuring circles over Piper's knuckles. With her other hand she started to stroke the blonde tresses delicately. She knew that Piper had always found that gesture calming. What Alex also knew was that if any nurse or doctor entered the room now, they wouldn't be too happy about the brunette lying in the bed together with Piper... But temporarily Alex didn't give a single fuck about that.

The blonde buried her nose into the crook of Alex neck, breathing in and out slowly. She was immediately invaded by Alex's scent and it calmed her down. Her eyes were slowly getting more and more heavy.

"Thank you, Al." She whispered, obviously on the verge of falling asleep.

Alex kissed her hair, letting her lips linger a little longer that she would normally allow herself. "Anytime, kid."

XxXxX

Alex was first to wake up the following day. The whole night she kept waking up since sleeping with some light on was never her thing. It must have been way before dawn when the brunette opened her eyes since the hospital was completely quiet and the only light coming into the room was from the night lamp next to Piper's bed. The blonde was still sound asleep and even though Alex's arm felt numb, she refused to move an inch in order not to wake up her friend. She really wanted Piper to rest as long as it was possible.

She looked at Piper's calm form. There were dark circles under her eyes and her lip still looked painfully bloody. It was swollen a little bit, too. Yet, she looked so peaceful, so undisturbed by the harsh reality of the day awaiting her.

Alex tightened her hold on Piper's waist, still being extra careful not to cause her any pain. Soon they would be surrounded by doctors, nurses and other people. Probably Piper's mom would show up as well. Polly had mentioned that the woman was on her way to Los Angeles. The brunette wondered whether Piper actually wanted to see her parents right now. She knew that the younger woman had a rather difficult relationship with them but maybe something had changed over the years? Alex surely hoped so. Piper needed all the support she could get right now.

The singer was also worried about Laura. Yes, the little girl seemed to be a bit better when Alex had left her with her friends but who know how she would feel today... For a second, the brunette had an urge to call or text Polly but when she realized it was just before 5 am, she put her phone down. Calling her right now could cause her a heart attack... Alex had to wait a little longer before she would be able to find out how Laura was doing.

So instead of calling anyone, Alex just lied there next to Piper. She stared at her, memorizing every feature of her beautiful face. It had been a while since she actually had the opportunity to look at the blonde so freely and so up close. She was amazed that there were no wrinkles on Piper's face whatsoever. Her skin was smooth and delicate just the way it had been when they were dating all those years before. _Must be the genes._ Alex chuckled to herself lightly.

A good half an hour had passed before Piper started to stir in her sleep and soon her eyes fluttered open. The sleep was still lingering in them when she looked up to Alex, confusion painting her face, but as soon as she saw the brunette's face just inches from her won, she calmed down.

"You're here." She whispered, her voice still mellow and thick from the sleep. She gripped Alex's hand as if she wanted to prove to herself that indeed the brunette was still with her.

"Yep." Alex smiled at her. "Did I wake you up?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"No." Piper snuggled closer to her friend, as close as her own body allowed her to, and Alex was pretty sure that the blonde was still only half conscious from her sleep.

"Do you need anything?" She tried again quietly.

"Could you call the nurse, please?" Piper mumbled into her neck and Alex immediately went into full alert.

"Are you in pain?" She asked as she started to lift herself up from the blonde. Of course she would get the nurse as fast as she could. She would do anything to make the pain go away.

"No... At least not more than yesterday anyways..." The blonde answered tiredly. "I actually..." she looked up at Alex sheepishly. "I need to pee... I'm not sure whether I should try to stand up..." She explained quietly.

The brunette blinked a few times and smiled. "Give me a second. I'll go and ask, okay?"

"Just bring her with you." Piper asked as she lied back down on the pillow, avoiding Alex's eyes.

The brunette did as she was told and pretty soon found a nurse who was willing to help Piper with her little 'issue'. Alex waited patiently outside the door because, as it turned out, the younger woman was not actually allowed get up from the bed just yet and judging by Piper's behavior, she didn't want Alex around to help her, she definitely preferred the assistance of a nurse.

When the woman left the room, Alex was finally able to get back to the blonde who was now lying on the bed with a small scowl on her face. She didn't look as comfortable as she had been before Alex had left her bed.

"Are you okay?" The brunette asked tentatively as she looked down at her friend. The blonde's features showed clearly that she was in some sort of discomfort.

"Yeah..." She answered shakily while holding her hand on her abdomen. She was pale as a sheet and this fact only made Alex grow more worried.

"You sure?" She asked again when she got closer to the bed.

"Mhmmm..." Piper just mumbled, her eyes still closed. It seemed that she was actually in a lot of pain but Alex didn't want to push her questioning any further. It was obvious that Piper didn't want to talk about it so the brunette had no other choice but to let it go.

"Do you need anything else?" She finally asked when she saw that Piper's features were slowly evening out. The pain she had been suffering was finally going away, slowly.

"What time is it?"

"Around half past five."

"Can we sleep some more?" Piper asked tiredly.

"Of course." Alex sat down on the chair next to Piper's bed and took her hand into her own. "Have some more rest." She stated reassuringly and soon after the blonde closed her eyes but it seemed that she couldn't find the right position to sleep. She kept tossing and turning, at least as much as her body allowed her to, for more than half an hour before she finally huffed in frustration.

She looked at Alex's tired form. The brunette was still sitting patiently on the chair next to her but her head and upper torso was lying on the bed. She was still holding her hand and she wasn't asleep. She just lied there and stared at the blonde, as if she had been on some tour of duty but when she realized that Piper was still pretty much awake, she lifted her head and her eyes were immediately filled with worry.

"Can't fall asleep?" She asked tenderly and she sat down on the bed next to the blonde. Piper just shook her head with resignation.

Alex took off her shoes again and put her feet on the bed. She shifted her position so that it was comfortable for both her and Piper and the blonde snuggled closer to her again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. How come it was Alex's scent that made her calm down each and every time? She was too tired to analyze that right then and there. All that mattered for the time being was that Alex was right next to her, that she was stroking her healthy arm tenderly, that Piper could snuggle close to her and enjoy the heat of her body. This all managed to calm her down and finally she was able to fall asleep again. Alex kept her eyes open, though. Kept observing her friend, ready to help her at any second.

XxXxX

Alex was startled by a tentative knocking on the door and before she was able to get out of the bed without disturbing Piper's sleep, she saw Polly's head peeking into the room.

"Hey there... How is she?" Polly asked as walked closer to the bed. It was pretty clear that she hadn't spent that night at a comfy hotel either. Her eyes still had the remnants of sleep and her clothes were slightly wrinkled.

"She's been better." Alex answered calmly. Now, that she knew it was just Polly and not some doctor or worse, Piper's mother, she relaxed back on the bed. She didn't want to get up unless it was necessary. Piper's hand was still holding her own and the blonde kept her head on Alex's shoulder.

Seeing them like that didn't really surprise Polly. She was happy that Piper had someone to lean on in such horrible moments. "Laura has been asking about you."

"How is she?" Alex whispered from the bed, she still wanted Piper to sleep as long as it was possible but hearing about the little girl, her heart leaped in her chest. "What time is it anyways?" The brunette lifted her head slowly. Maybe it was actually a good idea to get up after all? She needed to go and spend some time Laura. Especially now that she knew that the kid wanted to see her.

"She's doing just fine. Of course, she's still scared and keeps asking for her mother but other than that she's doing better than yesterday." Polly put a coffee mug on the table next to the bed. "Here. You look like you kinda need it."

"Thanks." Alex smiled when she finally got out of the bed, proud of herself that she managed to do so without waking Piper up. She looked down at her friend. The blonde looked tired despite having slept almost all night. The circles under her eyes were almost totally black... Or maybe they just looked that way because her face was so pale. Alex wasn't sure but she didn't like the way she looked on that hospital bed. Tiny and vulnerable.

"It's almost 8, by the way."

"Did you see Laura's doctor already? When will she be able to leave the hospital?"

"Yeah... Actually she will probably be free to go today later in the day. There's one problem, though."

"What is it?" They heard Piper's voice from behind. She was quiet and sounded tired but the information that there might be any issue with Laura made her agitated again. It was clear in her worried eyes and in the way she was trying to lift herself to a sitting position.

"Be careful." Alex was, of course, by her side in a second. She helped her get in a more comfortable position. It was obvious that any type of movement was still a cause of pain for the blonde.

"What's wrong with Laura?" Yet, she seemed not to pay attention to her own discomfort. She was eager to find out about her daughter.

"Nothing's wrong with her. Calm down, Pipe." Polly squeezed her hand reassuringly. "The thing is that you're also in hospital and will stay here for a while. Larry is in jail..." She looked worriedly between Alex and Piper. "And I have to come back to New York tomorrow evening... Someone needs to take care of Laura while you're here."

"Shit... You're right..." Piper put her head back on the pillow tiredly. She hadn't think about that yet. Of course she would have to organize some babysitter... Or maybe her mother could stay a little longer? She highly doubted that but it would be worth to ask her anyway. She wouldn't even consider asking Alex for help. The woman had already done enough for her and Piper didn't think that she should bother her with any more tasks. She was not supposed to come to Alex with her problems so...

"I'll talk to my mother." She whispered tiredly.

"She'll be here soon, I think." Polly stated. It was obvious that she wasn't really looking forward to that meeting but at the same time she was aware that there was no way around it. Nobody was a fan of Carol Chapman but they needed her help. Polly had assumed that Piper wouldn't even talk to Alex about it. For some reason, the blonde was trying to keep Alex at arm's length even though it seemed that now the two of them were good friends again. The singer definitely acted as if she cared about Piper a lot.

Alex actually wanted to volunteer as Laura's babysitter but then she figured that maybe that wasn't her place. Piper had family and it was probably for the better that Laura stayed with them. Alex was just a friend after all. Plus, the little girl didn't really know her that well yet. Maybe she would feel more comfortable having more familiar faces around her. Besides, Piper didn't seem to trust her enough to let Laura stay with her.

"Speaking of Laura..." Alex grabbed her coffee cup and slowly started to leave. "I should check up on her." She smiled at Piper. She wanted to give her some time to think calmly and maybe talk some more with Polly.

"Good idea. Tell her that she will be able to get out of here soon." Polly smiled as well.

"Will do."

XxXxX

Alex rushed to Laura's room. She was actually excited to be able to break the good news to the girl. Soon, Laura would be free to meet her mom and she would finally get away from the mundane reality of the hospital. Alex was aware that it had been only 24 hours but it was definitely enough for the little girl. It was enough for Alex as well. She didn't want to see the girl to suffer another minute in the hospital bed unless it was crucial to her healing.

She didn't go straight to Laura's room. First, she felt that she needed to grab a real breakfast for the little girl. As far as she herself could remember, hospital food was far away from anything eatable. Thankfully, her little shopping in the cafeteria didn't take that much time and soon she was standing in front of Laura's room.

When she entered, the little girl's face was enlightened by that beautiful smile, so similar to Piper's, and it made Alex's heart melt in nanosecond for the millionth time in the last few months since she had met the girl.

"Ally!" Laura was obviously extremely happy to see the the brunette. Well, the thing was that Alex was not just a famous singer and an idol to her... At least not anymore. Now, she perceived the tall brunette as one of her closest friends and every time she could spend even just a little bit of time with her, she felt happy and excited. Alex was never boring. She would always come up with some funny games or she would take both Laura and Piper to cool places. And she would sing for her and let Laura play the guitar (that was the coolest of all). _And,_ what is even more important, Laura felt safe next to Alex and that was the feeling she rarely experienced as of late. So... upon seeing her mother's friend, Laura was simply unable to conceal her excitement and that, in turn, made Alex's mood so much better the first instant she put her foot into the little girl's room.

"Hey, sweet cheeks!" Alex beamed at her as she expertly maneuvered to close the door behind her with the tray full of food that she was carrying.

"What is this?" Laura asked curiously pointing at the tray, her eyes big with wonder. That look on the girl's face always managed to entertain the brunette and she couldn't help a little chuckle.

"Well... I know that hospital food is usually some gooey yucky blob..." Alex made a disgusted face and Laura just giggled. "...so I've decided to bring something a bit nicer to munch on." She grinned at the girl. Judging by the untouched food left on the bedside table, Alex was dead right about the taste of it. "Are you hungry?" She asked brightly.

"No... Not really." Laura stated gently but her eyes were still full of mirth and it gave Alex a little hope that she would be able to persuade the little girl into eating at least a little bit.

"Well, sure as hell I am." Alex made a surprised face. "Sorry. I definitely am." Laura laughed some more upon hearing the slightly inappropriate word. "Here's the thing. I really don't like eating alone. Makes me feel weird." She stated as she put her tray onto another bedside table. "I was hoping you would help me with that."

"Okay." Laura whispered, a small smile decorating her mouth.

"Thank you!" Alex ruffled the top of the girl's head.

"What do you have there?"

"Only goodies... Toasts, fried bacon, cheese..." She tried while she observed the girl's reaction. "...or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." She grinned when Laura's eyes lightened up. "I guess I know what you're having."

Laura grabbed the sandwich offered by Alex but soon stopped in her tracks before she even managed to take the first bite.

"Wait... Mommy doesn't let me eat those for breakfast." She stated with disappointment.

"I know..." Alex lied. "But today is a special day so I think your mom wouldn't mind."

"What special day? It's not my birthday."

Alex chuckled. This girl was too cute. "I know that, too. But there is another special occasion worthy of celebrating."

"What occasion?" Laura inquired, becoming more and more curious.

"You'll leave the hospital today." Alex winked at the girl and her heart melt some more when she saw haw happy this news made her little companion.

"Really?" She asked excitedly, her sandwich completely forgotten now.

"Really, really."

"And I'll get to see mommy?"

"Only if you eat that sandwich, babe." Alex chuckled and then laughed as she continued to watch Laura stuff her mouth with a huge bite.

XxXxX

In the meantime there was a slightly less positive atmosphere in Piper's room. Even though the blonde was kind of looking forward to seeing her mother, in hope that the woman would help her out with Laura, the moment Carol Chapman entered Piper's room, she made everybody remember very quickly why nobody really liked her. Her big-headed nature managed to piss even some of the nurses off. Thankfully, instead of starting a fight, the hospital staff tried to vanish from Piper's room as quickly as it was only possible, throwing piper an understanding look... or was that pity she saw in their eyes?

"Mom, I don't think there is a need for me to be moving back to New York right now." Piper stated for the millionth time. There was no way she would come back to The Big Apple. It's not that she didn't like the city but her life was here now, her job was here, Laura's school and friends were here. _Alex was here..._ No, she had to stop thinking about the brunette and focus all of her attention on the conversation with her mother. The whole time the woman was there, Piper had a nagging feeling that her parent wanted to talk about something but she was gracefully avoiding the topic. Not even once did she ask about Larry or about what had really happened and that was suspicious. Of course Carol Chapman was a champion in avoiding difficult conversations but this time it seemed that she actually wanted to talk about it but didn't know how to start... So was tiptoeing around it, making Piper only more anxious by the minute.

"OK, fine... Let's not talk about it now then. Maybe you'll change your mind once you get out from the hospital."

 _Fat chance..._

"Do you know anything about Larry?" She had to address the issue sooner or later and since her mother was obviously avoiding it at almost any cost, Piper decided to be the brave one. She only wished that Polly was there with her. Unfortunately, her friend had to take a few important phone calls from her company so it was only Piper and Carol for the time being.

Her question made the older woman freeze and it took her several deep breaths before she was able to answer her daughter. "Well... About that..."

 _Huh?_

"Yeah... about that... So?" Piper needed to know all about _that_ and she suspected that her mother would be the best source of information as of now. Her parents were pretty close with Larry's so...

"Do you really think it's the best to let the police treat him like that?" Carol asked without looking Piper in the eye. And it's good that she avoided her sight because she wouldn't like what she would have to see. Piper was stunned. Was she for real? The blonde could feel the anger flaring in her... And yet she knew that she shouldn't be fighting with her mom. In fact, that was the only person she could count on right now, the only person who could look after Laura when Piper had to be in the hospital... And judging by what the doctors were saying and how crappy she felt, she would spend there quite a while. She needed to placate her mother. She couldn't burden anyone else with Laura... Not that the girl was a burden... But in the end Carol was her only option.

"Mom, what do you mean?" She asked as she fought to keep her voice calm. Truth was, she felt angry and weak, defeated and helpless.

"Honey... Putting the father of your child in prison is not a good picture."

Piper felt hot tears stinging her eyes but somehow she managed to keep then in. "You want me to make the police drop the charges?" She was speechless.

"Well... You know it's complicated, hon."

 _Complicated? What the hell?_ "OK... What do you mean by that?"

"You know well that your father works for Bloom's law firm..."

"And you expect me to make the police drop the charges because...?"

"Oh, Piper don't play stupid. You know how Larry's father is."

"So what? He can't fire anyone just like that."

"Yes. Yes, he can and he will." Carol's voice was a few octaves higher now. In fact the whole conversation was getting louder by the second even though Piper was trying to calm the both of them down.

"Mom... Larry has issues... He's dangerous." Piper whispered. She was tired. The headache was killing her, the post-op scar was itching, and the broken arm was slowly starting to throb with pain again. She wanted this conversation to be over... And she still had to remember about Laura. She hadn't talked with her mother about the girl yet.

"He can address his issues. He doesn't need prison for that." Her mother wasn't going to give up that easily and Piper didn't have any big guns to oppose her. She was in no position to argue really. She was completely dependent on the woman.

"Mom... Can we talk about it later?" She tried meekly. Her energy levels were really running low.

"You can't allow this little incident to ruin everything, Piper." Carol didn't seem to notice her daughter's tiredness. It looked as if she was there only to advocate for the Bloom family. Sure. Keep appearances... But Piper felt that there was little she could do about it now.

Even though everything was screaming inside her not to do that, Piper knew she would have to agree with her mother. Once again she would have to do something extremely against her own will. She knew she couldn't fight this whole situation on her own. She would end up with no help, no place to go, no real money (she was unable to work temporarily)...

She was about to answer her mom and tell her whatever the woman wanted to hear but was stopped when she saw the door to her room open and there she was. Alex. A very, _very_ pissed Alex... Piper knew that look on her face and she knew it was about to get ugly. She assumed that the brunette had heard at least some of their conversation. Yet, to Piper's surprise, the expression on Alex's face changed before Carol could notice her. The singer entered the room with confidence. She was carrying a bag with a logo of children's clothing company.

"Pipes I've got the clothes... Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you had another guest." She turned and threw a big _fake_ smile at Piper's mother. "Good morning Mrs Chapman." She extended her hand to welcome the older woman.

Piper was dumbfounded. What on earth was going on?

"Alexandra Vause." If it had been a cartoon movie, Carol Chapman's jaw would be comically lying dropped on the floor. The tall brunette was probably the last person on this planed that she had expected to see there. "Piper didn't say anything..." She started, still surprised, but Alex butt in.

"Don't worry, I won't bother you for long. I'm sure there's a lot for you to talk about now." She turned to the blonde lying on the bed. "I just dropped by to get that consent from you Pipes, you know... The one we've talked about." She was trying to silently signal to her to just act along.

"Yeah, okay..." Piper said still unsure of what was unfolding before her. "Do you have some paper with you?" She asked stupidly and Alex had to fight hard not to laugh. It was good that Carol couldn't see her face.

"Shit. I forgot. I'll take it form the nurses' station." She turned around as if to leave but then turned back to Piper. "Oh, and I've brought some clothes for Laura. I hope they fit. I don't want her to go to _my_ apartment in her pajamas. That would be weird." She grinned and only then Piper finally realized what Alex was doing. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Alex had to have realized why Piper was so passive in her talk with her mother... So she quickly step in. Alex and her spontaneity... Was she really willing to do that for her?

"You're _sure_ the nurses will have the paper?" She asked and was hoping that Alex would understand the true meaning of that question.

"Completely _positive_. I think they might have even the special form. I'll go ask." And then she was gone.

Piper felt a smile grow on her face. Maybe she could let the brunette help, just a little, just now. Deep breaths. Alex was here. Okay.

"Mom, I will not help Larry. Now, only he can help himself." Yeah, small steps, but now at least she could talk to her mother freely.


	7. Chapter 7

\- 7 -

Piper was lying on her bed, obviously exhausted. Dark circles under her eyes turned to almost black now. It was pretty clear that she was in pain again. Thankfully, her mother had already left, claiming she needed to look for a hotel to stay in LA for a few days. Of course, it was after she had argued fiercely about the 'Larry issue' so Piper wasn't really looking forward to seeing her again. She was sure that her mother would try to convince Piper to help Larry and the blonde didn't want to do that. It wasn't just a revenge. No, it was more than that, unfortunately. Piper was honestly scared of him and just a pure thought that she would have to meet him again face to face made her sick to her stomach. She was glad that he was in jail. At least he couldn't hurt her anymore. Her and Laura. How could her mother be so supportive of him? After what he'd done to the woman's only granddaughter? That was beyond Piper. She knew that her parents were not exactly close to her, that they appeared as cold-hearted people... But this? It was just too cruel even coming from them. Maybe if she had told her mother all of the truth, all of he'd done to her...

Tears sprung to her tired eyes and she had to swallow hard to stop herself from crying again. No, she would never tell her mother. She didn't know how to talk about this. She _didn't want_ to talk about this to anyone.

"Pipe, I'm so sorry for taking so long. Those people are just fucking mad. I'm gone not even for a week and they manage to..." Polly stopped immediately when she noticed the look on her friend's face. "What wrong?" She walked up to the bed quickly. "Where's Carol?"

"We had a fight... She left." Piper said calmly with resignation. She avoided looking at the brunette. She didn't want her to notice the tears still simmering in her eyes.

"What? Why?" Polly was dumbfounded. "Did you talk to her about Laura?"

"I didn't have to." The blonde smiled suddenly at the memory of how Alex had managed to play that whole thing out.

"Okay...?" Polly was still waiting for some explanation.

"She's going to stay with Alex."

"Oh thank all the gods." The brunette whispered, obvious relief painting her features and it made Piper rise her eye-brows in surprise. Since when was Polly such a fan of the singer? She knew they were getting along better than before but c'mon... Really?

Piper chuckled. "Okay...?" Now it was her turn to wait for some sort of explanation from her friend and she was truly intrigued.

"I mean... Laura seems to like her a lot. She wouldn't have to come back to your old apartment. Alex's hotel is not exactly close to her school but I'm sure they'll figure it out once she needs to come back to classes. As far as I know, the band is on a little break right now, for about three or four weeks, so that should be enough time for you to come back to somewhat normal condition." She took a long breath. "Besides... I'm sorry Pipe... But your mother is a bitch and I don't think that Laura would really appreciate spending time with her." She finally finished her mini-speech and Piper couldn't help bursting out laughing at Polly's sum-up of her 'lovely' parent.

Unfortunately, the giggling soon turned into a slight frown on Piper's face. The stitches were still pretty fresh and every rapid movement of the blonde's stomach ended up being quite painful to her.

"Pipes, I've got it finally." Alex entered the room, still holding the bag with the clothes for Laura, and a whole pile of papers in her other hand. "Apparently, they do have a special form... consisting of million pages, I'm afraid. Took them forever to find it, too." She said exasperatedly. Then, she noticed the pained look on Piper's face. "What's wrong?"

"Gosh... I must look superb." The blonde chuckled darkly and winced when she felt some more ache in her lower abdomen.

"What?" Alex didn't understand anything and her confusion only grew when she heard Polly laugh a little as well so she turned to the other brunette.

"I also asked her what was wrong upon just seeing her. I guess telling her now that she looks good wouldn't make much sense, huh?" She smiled.

"Oh..." Alex looked back at the blonde. She really did not like the way Piper looked. She seemed exhausted. "Well... You look like you need some sleep. But I'm afraid that first you'll have to fill in those forms if you want Laura to be released today." She put the papers on Piper's lap but then she slapped herself on the forehead. Of course the blonde wouldn't be able to do that. Her right arm was in a cast. "Sorry... I'm an idiot. I'll do it and you'll just sign it. I guess it'll be a lot faster that way." She smiled and winked at her blond friend.

"Are you really sure about that, Al? You're on your holiday. Looking after a child is not really a vacation activity..."

"Hush it. I said I wanted to do it and I meant it. No way is Laura going to stay with your mother. I'm sorry, Pipes, but she's not good influence right now."

Polly couldn't help laughing out loud. "And a rock singer, party-goer, weed-smoker, crazy womanizer constantly living in a hotel is good influence?" She continued to chuckle.

"Polly..." Piper's jaw dropped in shock. Maybe her friend didn't like Alex that much after all... Yet the shorter brunette didn't let Piper say whatever she wanted to say.

"Yes, you're definitely much better than Carol." Polly's face turned serious even though there was still a little glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

Alex just smirked and turned to Piper. "Don't worry. I promise to cut down on partying and smoking weed." She winked as she sat down to finally fill in the forms.

XxXxX

"And we're going to see mommy, right?" Laura asked for the millionth time and it took Alex a second and two deep breaths before she was able to answer for the millionth time somewhat calmly that yes, indeed, the were going to see mommy.

Upon hearing yet another confirmation from the tall brunette, Laura's face lightened up. She missed her mother a whole lot and was worried about her. The girl looked down at herself again and smoothed her t-shirt. She loved the clothes that Alex brought for her. She wasn't really sure whether her mother, and especially grandmother, would approve of the slightly rockabilly black jeans with holes on the knees but Laura thought they were awesome. Made her look a little like Alex and the little girl loved that idea.

Taking care of all of the formalities had taken them much more time than Alex had expected but now they were finally able to get Laura away from the hospital... Or at least form her hospital bed. Before starting their walk to Piper's room, Alex had explained to Laura that her mother didn't feel too well. She had informed the little girl about the cast and bruises and that Piper had been in surgery. Alex wanted to prepare her for the vision of Piper in her hospital bed, and that particular picture wasn't an easy one to look at. She didn't want Laura to be shocked too much. Of course, she had spared the girl all the gruesome details, but more or less Laura knew that her mother would need to stay in the hospital a little longer but that she would be okay.

The short walk took them less than five minutes and when they finally stood in front of the door to Piper's room, Alex felt Laura grip her hand a little harder. The child was anxious to see her mother but it was clear that she was also a little nervous. She had never seen either of her parents in a hospital and she didn't really know what to expect, even though Alex had tried to explain everything the best as she could.

Alex knelt down next to Laura and looked her in the eye. She smiled warmly at the little girl and squeezed her hand. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Laura smiled back finally.

Alex knocked lightly on the door and sticked her head inside to check if everything was okay. She wanted to make sure that none of the doctors or the nurses were doing anything with Piper. The blonde was lying comfortably on the bed. Polly was nowhere to be seen. Probably she went back to the hotel to pack her things because she was leaving soon. When Alex was positive that Piper was fairly well and awake, she fully opened the door and brought Laura with her.

Upon seeing her mother, the girl run up to Piper's bed.

"Mommy..." She hugged the blonde as best as she could from the side of the bed but the position was rather uncomfortable for both of them so soon Alex helped Laura get on the bed next to Piper. The girl snuggled to her mother immediately and it seemed that she had no plan to let go of her.

Piper kissed the top of her head tenderly. There were fresh tears brimming in her blue eyes but she was clearly happy to see her daughter again. "Hey, honey." She whispered gently to the child who was obviously crying now. Her shoulders were shaking a bit as she struggled to calm herself down. "It's okay." Piper whispered again while she continued to draw little circles on the girl's back. "We're okay now."

Alex made a move to leave the room in order to give her friend a little space but just as she was about to leave, Laura lifted her head in puzzlement.

"Where are you going?" She asked quietly, her voice still thick with tears.

The brunette smiled at them. "I'll be back in a while."

"Do you have to go?" Laura's lips quivered a bit and upon seeing that Alex walked back and stood next to the bed again.

"I don't have to go anywhere if you don't want me to, okay?" She assured her.

"Okay." Laura finally smiled a little. "So stay." Laura put her head back into the crook of Piper's neck. She was finally content. Seeing her mother calmed her down a great deal. All the pent up tension and worry had finally left her little body. Crying can have that effect on you.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence Laura lifted her head again and looked straight at Alex. "Can you read?" She asked with a soft smile, her eyes obviously heavy with tiredness.

The brunette chuckled. "Sure I can, kid. Learned long time ago. Just because I'm a musician doesn't mean a skipped school when I was your age." Piper raised one of her eyebrows in amusement upon hearing that statement and Alex chuckled again. "I started when I was a little older." She grinned and Laura laughed, little sparkles returning to her eyes.

"Don't listen to her, baby. She's just joking." Piper shot Alex a scolding look.

"Yeah, just joking." The brunette winked at the little girl.

"I didn't mean if you could read in general, you goof. Could you read to us now, please?" Laura made big puppy eyes.

Alex stood there dumbfounded for a while before she remembered that she had bought a book for Laura to make the short stay in the hospital more pleasant for her. She had totally forgot about it until that gentle request. It seemed that Laura was in no mood for talking really. She preferred to snuggle comfortably to her mother and just rest. Alex had suspected that the girl hadn't slept much the previous night. It was clear in her tired features but the singer had decided not to ask about it too much. She didn't want to stress the girl.

"Sure I'll read to you." Alex smiled and sat down on the chair next to the bed, the book already in her hand. Piper noticed its cover – _Diary of Sixth Grade Ninja –_ and her eyes were clearly asking 'Really?' but there was a soft smile on her lips and the brunette just shrug her shoulders and grinned. She tried to get herself as comfortable as it was possible on the hard hospital chair and started to read. On several occasions she could hear Laura giggle lightly upon hearing some funny part of the story but after about half an hour the laughter stopped completely and all the sounds that the little girl emitted were those of deep steady breaths. She had fallen asleep, finally.

Alex stood up and put the book onto the bedside table. She looked at the two blondes on the bed, one of them sound asleep, the other barely keeping her eyes open, but as soon as Piper realized that Alex had stopped reading, she looked up at the brunette.

"Why did you stop?" She asked sleepily, her eyes heavy and if it wasn't for all the bruises marking Piper's face, Alex would think that the blonde looked adorable in her semi-conscious state.

"I thought you were asleep." Alex whispered, careful not to wake Laura up.

"Read to us some more." Piper's eyes were already closing again. The lids had proven to be too heavy for the blonde.

Alex picked up the book and sat back down on the uncomfortable chair. She didn't mind it that much, though. She started to read again and her husky voice was a melody to Piper's ears. She didn't even try to focus on the plot. The pure sound was enough. She had always loved it when Alex had read to her in the past. It had such a calming effect on her, managed to relax her even in the moments of highest distress. This trick worked this time as well and soon Laura was not the only one whose breaths got deeper and more even.

XxXxX

Some time later Polly came back to the hospital and she wasn't alone. Poussey and Nicky decided to visit as well. When the three of them entered Piper's room, they were met with a rather cute vision of the two blondes on the bed. Piper was cradling Laura in her arm and the little girl was still lying comfortably snuggled into her mother's neck... On the other side of the bed, Alex's position didn't look so comfortable at all. The brunette was also asleep but she was sitting on the chair, the book lying in her lap, and her head was hanging at a weird angle that simply couldn't be healthy.

Nicky bumped the chair with her foot lightly but the kick was strong enough to startle Alex. In fact, she almost ended up on the floor since she didn't expect the movement.

"Nichols, the fuck?" She asked confusedly, rubbing her eyes in the attempt to brush the sleep away. She started to stretch her neck as well. It felt kinda sore after spending so much time in such awkward position.

"You should thank me. I've just saved your sorry ass. One more minute in that chair and you would have to say 'hi' to scoliosis." The lion-haired girl chuckled quietly.

"Gee... Didn't realize you knew such smart words."

"You know what other smart words I now? Now focus. How about: Tetrahydrocannabinol?" Nicky wiggled her eyebrows and Alex just laughed. She had asked her band mate to go to her place and throw away all the 'unnecessary' things before she and Laura would come back home. She didn't want the little girl to accidentally find something that she shouldn't see and Alex didn't have enough time to go to her room and throw everything away herself.

"I guess you've been to my hotel suite then? Did you get rid of it?"

"Your heavenly green stash of deluxe quality? Pfft... I found a better cubby for it." Nicky grinned and Alex was sure that her friend hid it somewhere at her own apartment. She could have expected it would be difficult for Nicky to throw away any weed.

"Thanks."

"I also found the rest of fun stuff you wanted me to get rid of and that I _did_ throw away." Nicky laughed.

"Thanks again, I guess." Alex laughed as well.

"Your bedroom is clear now." The lion-head wiggled her eyebrows again.

"OK... Stop. I said thanks. End of it." Alex narrowed her eyes at her best friend but Polly and Poussey were now laughing quietly at their exchange.

"I don't think I wanna know the details." Poussey laughed.

"Good." Both Alex and Nicky answered and it only evoked more giggles.

"What's so funny?" All of them turned around upon hearing the sleepy voice of Piper. For some reason Alex hoped that the blonde really didn't hear much of their conversation. That would feel awkward.

"Hey there, sleepy head. How are you feeling today? We brought you some decent food. Alex told us that your doctor has already allowed you to eat something more than funny gruel." Poussey hugged Piper lightly and Alex was glad that her friend changed the topic so swiftly before Nicky had any chance to open her mouth. She was sure that Nichols wouldn't waste the occasion to make Alex squirm a little with uneasiness.

Nicky just chuckled upon seeing the relief in the brunette's face and was just about to say something but Alex mouthed "Don't you fucking dare" when Piper wasn't looking at her and if looks could kill, Nicky was sure she would be lying dead in a pool of blood at the moment so she decided to let it go... this time. She was sure that now that Piper was around she would have plenty of occasions to piss Alex off, especially that it seemed that the brunette was quite touchy when it came to the topic of Piper Chapman.

XxXxX

They spent the rest of the day with Piper, keeping her company and making sure that the blonde wouldn't think too much about the recent events. Every time she was left alone or had some moment of peace and quiet, her mood seemed to drop. There was that sadness in her eyes and Alex hated it. She wished she could take all the pain away but she knew that that wouldn't be that simple. Especially, that the ache wasn't just physical. Apart from the medical staff, the police, Piper and Larry it seemed that Alex was the only person who knew what had really happened that night. She didn't have a chance to talk about it to Piper yet and she didn't even know whether she should. Maybe it would be better if the blonde started the topic herself?

For now Alex decided to let it go. They didn't even have a moment alone since the morning. After Polly, Poussey and Nicky left, Carol Chapman came back to pay another visit to her daughter. This time it was pretty pleasant. The older woman was obviously trying to keep the atmosphere light while Laura was with them. Although... There was one moment when Alex was worried that a bigger quarrel would erupt when Carol asked Piper why she had decided to leave the girl with Alex instead of her. Thankfully, Piper's mother cut that argument short when she realized that the blonde would be in the hospital much longer than Carol had expected. It was obvious that she didn't want to stay in LA for such a long time and actually both Piper and Alex were relieved when they found out that the older Chapman was planning to fly back to NYC on Friday. They would have to endure her presence only for two more days. They could muster some more patience till then.

After Carol left, Alex and Laura spent some more time with Piper, helping her with supper and making sure that she had everything that she needed. Finally, the visiting hours were over and a kind nurse reminded them that it would be better if they went home and had some rest. Alex couldn't agree more. She was still worried about Piper but at the same time she knew that a night at home in some decent bed would do Laura some good. Alex herself was also exhausted but she tried not to let it show. So there was not much for the two of them to do but to kiss Piper goodbye and head to Alex's hotel.

The drive home was a quiet one. Laura was obviously more tired than she had led on earlier and by the time they had finally reached the hotel, the girl was very close to falling asleep in the comfortable seat of Alex's car.

"Hey there, kid." The brunette shook Laura's arm delicately to wake her up. "We're here." She whispered and smiled kindly at her companion. The little girl just nodded her head and got out of the car in a sleepy daze. Alex took some bags from the trunk (she bought some more clothes for Laura and Piper, just in case) and led Laura to her suite.

Alex tried to make Laura eat some light snack before actually going to bed but the girl said that she wasn't hungry at all so instead spending time in the en-suite kitchen, Alex prepared for Laura a bubbly bath to help her relax a bit before going to sleep.

While Laura was soaking in the bathtub, Alex prepared the bedroom for her. She cleared some of her drawers and put the new clothes in them. She was glad that Nicky had been thoughtful enough and asked the hotel to clean her apartment while Alex had been gone. Now, everything was spotless clean and the bedsheets were fresh and smelling really nicely. There were also extra pillows and some fluffy blankets waiting on the sofa in the living room. Nicky must have mentioned to the hotel staff that there would be more people using the suite now. Who knew that her wild friend could be so well-organized?

It was good that Alex's apartment was actually quite big. It not only had two bathrooms, separate bedroom, nice living room and en-suite kitchen, but there was also one more extra room, specially soundproof, where Alex could play her instruments and record new ideas for songs if that was necessary. The state-of-the-art computers and other equipment cost Alex a little fortune but oh well... The singer thought that it was worth every cent.

She was slowly putting some of the toys on the chest of drawers (a little surprise for her little guest) when she heard Laura enter the bedroom. Alex turned around to see her in her cute black bathrobe with a huge emblem of batman on the front. The brunette had noticed many months before that the girl was a fan of the series of comic books so she had thought that that particular design would be suitable. And she had been right. Laura sat down on the bed and smiled at her.

"Thank you for this. It's really fluffy."

"Looks good on you." Alex sat down next to her and ruffled her wet hair a bit. She had helped her wash it before the girl jumped into the bathtub.

"I'm so tired." Laura yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"So hop in." The brunette patted the bed and she didn't have to say it twice. Laura took off the bathrobe and lied down on the bed, wearing only her batman pajamas now. Alex covered her with the comforter and tucked her in. "Sleep tight, kid." She smiled down at the girl.

"Ally?"

"Yeah?" Alex was almost by the door when she heard the tiny voice. "What is it, hon?"

Laura seemed a little more shy than usually, a warm blush was adorning her cheeks and she wouldn't meet Alex's eyes. "Would it be okay if you slept here with me?" She asked quietly. "I don't really like to be alone." She cleared her throat. "It's not that I'm scared... but you know." She added sheepishly as if she wanted to make sure that nobody thought that she was a coward.

"Of course." Alex smiled at her brightly and Laura's demeanor changed as if someone used some magic wand. "Let me just grab a super fast shower, okay? You don't want a stinky sleepover guest, right?" The statement made the little giggle.

"Yeah... A stinky would ruin the beautiful smell that my fresh-clean self is spreading." Laura said seriously but soon her mouth broke in a radiant smile, dimples and all, just like Piper's, and Alex just chuckled. Yep, Laura had a lot after her mother. Not only her looks but her sort-of-charming sass as well.

Alex tried to take her shower really as fast as she only could and it wasn't even fifteen minutes when she got back to Laura. She had expected the girl to be already asleep when she got out but apparently that wasn't the case. Even though Laura was extremely tired, she was still hanging on, waiting for the brunette patiently. It wasn't until Alex lied down on the bed next to her, that she finally allowed her eyes to close. But it was only for a minute or two.

"Ally?"

"Hmmm?" Alex's own eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. She hadn't had more than a couple hours of sleep since the weekend and all of stress and craziness was were finally evaporating from her system, leaving her more exhausted than she had ever been before. "What's up?" She forced her eyes to open and she looked at her bed-neighbor.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." The tone of Laura's voice made Alex turn around and prop herself on the elbow. She wanted her to know that she was really listening. Besides... If she continued to be lying down, she might fall asleep before she even heard the question.

"Can you turn the light back on?"

Alex did just that. The small bedside table lamp made the whole bedroom glow in warm light. "That's it?" She smiled at Laura.

"No."

"No?" Alex furrowed her eyebrows. "What's bothering you, pumpkin?"

Laura hesitated for a short moment before she lifted her gaze to look Alex straight in the eye. "Is mommy really going to be okay?" She whispered.

Alex's heart broke at seeing the little girl so distressed again. They hadn't talked about what had happened but it was clear that the whole situation was very difficult for Laura. Even though everyone was trying to make her feel better, she was still extremely stressed and worried not only about herself but especially about her mother. What also worried Alex was the fact that not even once had she asked about Larry. He was her father after all... But she wasn't going to address that. She felt it wasn't her place to do that.

"Laura..." She also looked straight into Laura's eyes "...do you trust me?" The little girl nodded slowly. "So trust me when I tell you that I will do everything I can to help your mommy and she is going to be okay, okay?" Laura smiled a little and nodded again. "And if there's anything you want to talk about or ask about, you can always come to your mommy or me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, let's try to catch some sleep, shall we?" Alex asked with a smile and Laura smiled right back at her and nodded so the brunette turned off the bedside table again. Yet, not even five minutes had passed by when...

"Ally?"

"Hmm?" She felt almost too tired to utter any coherent word.

"Can we keep the light on?"

 _Shit..._

"Sure." Alex turned the light on again and smiled at Laura. "Better?" The girl nodded with her eyes already closed. She snuggled closer to Alex and was fast asleep in nanosecond. The brunette envied her. _Damn..._

XxXxX

The next day Laura slept until 10 am and when she finally woke up she seemed well-rested and much more relaxed than the previous evening. Alex wished she could say the same about herself. Despite the great exhaustion, she managed to catch an hour or two of sleep... at best.

She was now standing in her little kitchen, making scrambled eggs, toasts and coffee... lots and lots of very strong coffee for breakfast. She gave Laura the task of squeezing some orange juice just to keep the little girl busy. Alex had noticed that, similarly to Piper, whenever Laura had some quiet time without any particular task or activity, she was quickly consumed by some dark thoughts. Her face would then turn serious, eyes filled with some sadness and she would answer any question thrown her way with monosyllables. And she would stay in that disturbing state of suspension until someone engaged her in more interesting conversation or assigned her some 'super important' duty.

"Maybe we should grab your mom some breakfast on the way, too?" Alex asked.

"Yep."

 _Yep, monosyllables again._

"What's her favorite thing for breakfast?" She tried again.

 _Marzipan bagels._

"Marzipan bagels." Laura answered and Alex smiled to herself. Some things just didn't change.

"So we'll bring her some. How does she take her coffee? We can get her some, too."

 _Milk, two sugars._

"Milk, two sweeteners." Ah, some changes after all.

"Sweeteners?" Alex raised her eyebrow.

"Yep."

 _Damn monosyllables..._

Alex needed to organize Laura's time better. She couldn't allow the girl to spend all her time in the hospital. That wouldn't be healthy for her. So she needed to fill her time with some fun activities until she would be able to go back to school, which should be probably on Monday. Up until then Alex had to figure something out to keep Laura busy.

Alex: [What are you guys up to this afternoon?]

She didn't even manage to put her phone back in her pocket when she felt it buzz in her hand.

Nicky: [I was thinking of smoking all of that goddamn fine weed of yours but if you have better ideas, enlighten me.]

The brunette chuckled. There was no way that Nicky would manage to smoke all of that in one day. She would be high for the rest of the week. On the other hand... Alex had seen that happening more than once...

Alex: [How about going to the zoo with one cute blonde?]

Nicky:[Firstly, why would it be me taking Piper on a date and not you? Secondly, I really thought you could be more creative than that. And thirdly, how come they let Piper out so early?]

Alex: [Firstly, you're an asshole. Secondly, you're an asshole. And thirdly, they're not letting her out, you asshole, I was thinking about Laura.]

Nicky: [Firstly, thank you. Secondly, thank you. And thirdly, yah, I forgot you've got two cute blondes around you now.]

Alex started typing again but she was stopped by the sound of another incoming message.

Nicky: [And yes, of course me and Lorna will look after her. No problem. But we have a better idea than your boring zoo. :P]

Alex: [No weed for kids. :P]

Nicky: [Spoil sport. :P]

Alex chuckled and Laura looked at her with expectation.

"Nicky and her girlfriend have some surprise for you later this afternoon."

Laura's face brightened up. "Really? What surprise?"

"I have no idea. Besides, if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise anymore." She ruffled Laura's hair playfully and the little girl laughed as she tried to get away from her. Light giggles followed and Alex felt so much better hearing them than those monosyllable answers.

XxXxX

Early afternoon Alex and Laura spent with Piper in the hospital, simply just keeping her company and making sure that she didn't strain herself too much. After lunch the brunette received a message from Nicky with a request to bring Laura to their car downstairs. Unfortunately, that day was particularly busy at the hospital and the parking lot in front of it was completely full. Not a single space was left free to allow Nicky to leave her car and actually step by and say 'hi' to Piper. That would have to wait till the evening when she would drop Laura off from their little trip. Alex tried to force Nicky and Lorna to tell her where they were taking their little companion but both women kept their lips sealed, claiming that it was a surprise, indeed. After several minutes of negotiations, the brunette got at least the information when Laura would be back... more or less.

After kissing the kid goodbye and (only mock-jokingly) threatening her friends that if a single hair fell from Laura's head Alex would hunt them down, the brunette finally returned to Piper's room. Seeing the little girl's face enlightened by that adorable grin made Alex's heart soar. She really would give anything to make the child feel better and try to forget about the difficult moments. That day was also good for Piper. Since the very morning the blonde was in a much better condition and mood than the day before. Either she had finally allowed the nurses to give her painkillers or she was healing much faster than the doctors had assumed. Her face wasn't scrunched in discomfort every time she laughed anymore. She was able to sit up better and the doctor said that soon they would allow her to try and walk a bit. Maybe even the next day. The thought that Piper was doing much better than anyone had expected warmed Alex's heart. She wanted her friend to be out of the hospital as fast as it was only possible. Coming back to more normal environment would definitely help Piper get back on her feet. Alex had the plan to propose to Piper that she and Laura would stay with her at her hotel suite. She was pretty confident that it was possible that Piper would agree since she probably didn't want to come back to her old apartment. The possibility of spending so much more time with the two of the blondes brought a wide smile onto Alex's lips. She knew that the circumstances were completely horrible but still... The moments spent with Piper and Laura always made Alex feel more alive than anything else in the world and even though the feeling scared the shit out of her, the brunette was still happy to be able to spend every moment with them.

When Alex entered Piper's room, her wide smile dropped immediately. Piper was laying on the bed and her shoulders were shaking. She was obviously crying her eyes out and no matter how hard she tried to make the tears stop from cascading down her cheeks, she was simply unable to calm down. The brunette walked up to the bed tentatively. She didn't want to startle her friend because it was pretty clear that Piper hadn't noticed her entering.

"Pipes..." Alex whispered delicately and put her hand on Piper's arm covered in plaster. "Baby, what's wrong?" She asked quietly. She really wanted to be able to help the blonde. She hated seeing her in such distress.

Piper just shook her head. She was still unable to utter any word. Her emotions got the better of her and for a second or two Alex just stood there frozen, not knowing what to do to make it all go away. And then, she remembered how Piper had calmed down the night before when Alex had climbed up on the bed with her and simply held her close. So that was what she did now, too.

Within a few minutes Piper's sobbing seemed to decrease. The shudders tormenting her body were less frequent now and apart from a few sniffs there was no sound coming from the blonde.

"Better?" Alex asked in a soft whisper when she thought that Piper was finally able to speak somewhat normally but all she got back was a weak nod of the blonde's head. Alex kissed her hair lightly. God, how she wished she could take at least part of that pain away. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I can't do what she wants me to do." Piper whisper was broken by another flood of tears.

"Who wants you to do what?" Alex gently probed.

"My mother. She wants me to make the police drop the case."

Alex could feel the anger raising in her. Her hands started to tremble out of sheer emotion and she was hoping that Piper wouldn't notice. She took a steadying breath. "Was she here when I went to see Laura off?" Another nod from Piper. "Don't listen to her, Pipes. You know you can't just come back to him now, right?" Just a pure thought of the blonde coming back to that environment made Alex sick to her stomach.

Piper started to cry again and she buried her face into the crook of Alex's neck. She was shaking and the brunette just held her tight.

"She doesn't understand." The blonde continued to sob. "I can't do this anymore. He... I just really can't do this anymore."

"I know. I understand." Alex whispered.

"No, you don't. He..." Piper tried to say something but it looked as if the words were stuck in her throat and it only made her more agitated and desperate. She struggled to say anything at all even though it seemed that she really wanted to say something.

"Shhh..." Alex cupped Piper's cheeks delicately and held her gaze. "Yes. Yes, I _know_ and yes I do understand." She stated calmly, hoping that Piper would understand too that she wasn't alone in all that mess. The blonde's arms shook some more. She clung to Alex with all the strength she had in her healthy arm. "I know everything, okay?" Alex whispered quietly.

Piper just nodded her head again, not willing to look Alex in the face. It took her several long minutes to ask another quiet question. "Everything?"

Alex had to fight her own tears by now. She knew she had to be the stronger one, had to make sure that Piper would be okay. That's what she had promised Laura after all. But she had promised that to herself as well, that she would do whatever it took to make Piper happy again.

"I read your medical record." The brunette whispered. She wanted Piper to know that she knew everything too. Piper didn't have to hide or pretend when she was with Alex.

Piper fell silent. She didn't say anything more for a really long time and Alex thought that she had fallen asleep.

"You haven't slept almost at all, have you?" The blonde asked out of nowhere and Alex looked down at her. This time Piper didn't avoid her sight and looked straight in her eyes instead.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get all the sleep in the world when I finally get you home." She smiled at Piper.

"Laura made you sleep with her and she made you keep the lights on." Piper's voice sounded worried. "You keep waking up if the lights are on. You never really sleep with the lights on." The blonde looked up into Alex's eyes, great concern shining in her own blue orbs.

The fact that Piper could still remember such little details about her, made Alex's body tingle with warm glow. "You know your kid so well." _You know_ _me_ _so well._

"She is my daughter."

"Yep. Definitely she's your kid." Piper raised her eyebrow at that and Alex just smiled some more. "She's got your sass and sense of humor."

"Sass?" Piper asked but her voice was actually heavy with sleep now.

"Shh... Just let's take a nap. We both could use it."

There was another long moment of silence between them, the only sounds coming from the hospital corridor and the people walking by. Alex was happy that she had closed the door when she got there because the whole place was a little bit more crazy that day. She continued to brush her fingertips lightly along Piper's healthy arm, drawing little circles on her soft skin. She would even leave one or two light kisses on the blonde's head. Alex knew that probably she shouldn't be behaving like that but she couldn't help herself and, to her defense, Piper did seem to enjoy the extra attention. She didn't squirm away, she didn't tell her to stop... Just the opposite. The blonde snuggled even closer to Alex, her breath caressing the singer's neck lightly, she finally seemed content, relaxed even.

Judging by Piper's slow breathing, Alex was pretty sure that she was asleep so she was a little startled when she heard Piper's slightly sleepy voice.

"Get me home?" She whispered with interest as if she had just remembered what Alex had said.

"Hmm?" Alex looked down at her with a little frown.

"You said 'when I finally get you home', Alex. What did you mean?"

"When the doctors finally release you from here I'll get you to my place. I've already abducted Laura so you don't have much of a choice really." The brunette smiled at her but Piper's eyes were still searching for some answers and she looked at Alex expectantly. "Listen, I know it's not my call and all... But I don't think you should be getting back to your apartment, at least not yet..."

"It's Larry's really..." Piper interrupted her, her face turning a shade whiter suddenly. "I have to look for a different apartment to stay." She furrowed her eyebrows, now back again to being fully alert and worried.

"Pipes..." Alex lifter her chin so she would face her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about right now, okay? You don't need to worry about that. You'll stay with me, okay?"

"But I can't... It's too much trouble. You don't have to do this." Piper was talking faster by the second. "I'll figure something out. My mother would help." _Hopefully._ Piper wasn't really sure about that...

"I'm sorry to say this to you right now... But your mother seems..." Alex wasn't sure how to even call the older woman and she huffed in frustration. "Pipes, she won't help you unless you do what she wants." The blonde started to protest but Alex stopped her mid-sentence. "I don't know what's her problem... But don't worry about her now, okay?"

Piper didn't know how to react to that so she just simply kept her mouth shut. She was tired of this whole situation, tired of feeling helpless. Yet, she truly was helpless and it infuriated her. She needed to find a way to get back on her feet as fast as possible. She didn't have the time to just stay in bed. She needed a place to stay and work and...

"I don't worry about her. I worry about million other things, Al. This is so messed up." Piper's lips quivered but somehow she managed to control herself.

"Yes' this is messed up, really messed up alright." Alex looked at her and cupped her cheek. "But please, don't be a stubborn ass right now, okay?"

"I'm not..."

"Shh... Yes, you are. I know that you feel that you should do everything on your own but sometimes you must let others help you... And I don't mean your mother, she's out of the question right now." Alex smiled gently. "Let me help you, okay?"

"But you said..."

"Shhhhhhh... Let me help you. You'll stay with me until we'll figure out a better solution. Now nod your head." Alex smiled again and Piper took a while to contemplate but she eventually nodded her head, tears brimming in her eyes again.

"But you said..."

"Jeez... Will you just accept some help without extra worry for once?" Alex chuckled and Piper just stared at her, it was obvious that something was bothering her greatly. "Okay... What did I say?" Alex gave up and simply asked.

"That I should never come back to you with my problems..." Piper whispered, avoiding the brunette's eyes. Alex's face scrunched in confusion. She didn't remember ever saying something stupid like that. How could Piper ever think that Alex wouldn't help her? Especially that this situation was literally threatening Piper's life... Actually, not only Piper's but Laura's as well. Alex got angry at the absurdity that somehow got to Piper's head. Where did she take it from in the first place? The brunette's annoyance continued to grow... until a little spark flickered in her brain... She had said something horrible like that to Piper. Many, many years before. Alex had been trying to push that memory as far away from herself as possible and the details of that horrible break-up and fight got blurry as the years had gone by but now she remembered. Alex herself told Piper to never ever come back to her with her problems, her worries... _Fuck..._

"Pipes... That was so long ago." She whispered to the blonde, the tears that she was trying to fight making it difficult to utter those quiet words. Alex was furious at herself. Was that why Piper didn't talk to her about her problems with Larry. Was that why she refused to let Alex know that something was so terribly wrong? A tremendous wave of guilt washed over the brunette. Why the fuck did Piper have to keep up to that stupid, stupid fight from years ago. Alex swallowed hard. She was desperately trying not to sound well... desperate. "Things are different now."

"I don't..." Piper started but she was once again stopped by the brunette.

"I did say all those things all those years ago... But I don't think like that anymore and you must know that. I was angry... and hurt... and..." _Fuck..._ "It's not like that anymore." She looked Piper in the eye. "You can always count on me, okay? I'll always be here. You can always come with everything and anything to me. I take all those words from the past back, every single one of them... Okay?" Now it was Alex's turn to speak faster and faster as she was fighting to make herself completely clear.

"Okay." Piper finally whispered after a moment of hesitation and Alex's face was enlightened by a smile. A stray tear traveled down her cheek but she wiped it away immediately.

"Where's Polly? Why haven't she visited you today?" Alex asked, changing the topic. On the one hand, she was tired after the strenuous conversation and she thought that Piper felt the same. On the other hand, she truly was curious about Polly's absence. Alex knew that the other brunette was about to fly back to New York City that day but her flight was scheduled in the late evening and it wasn't even 5 pm and there was no sign of Polly.

"She did come here but left shortly after breakfast, just before you and Laura showed up. She had a call early this morning from her company and she had to go home earlier than she had planned. It was all such a rush that she probably forgot to call you." Piper looked up at the clock on the wall over the door. "Maybe we should call her and ask if everything's okay."

Alex moved her body slightly to retrieve her phone from her back pocket and as she did so, she unintentionally leaned over Piper some more, giving the blonde a better chance to feel the singer's distinguished scent, something between marzipan and vanilla with a little hint of leather and her favorite perfume, Pour Femme by Lacoste. Piper smiled when the familiar scent invaded her senses. It was so well known to her, made her feel safe. She giggled lightly upon realizing that Alex hadn't changed her taste in perfume. Even though she could now afford much more expensive things, she still was a creature of habit. She didn't change, at least in regards to certain details that Piper loved about her... _Liked about her... Jesus._ The blonde corrected herself in her thoughts. She really shouldn't let her mind take her to that dangerous territory. She didn't want to ruin what she finally managed to build with Alex again.

"What's so amusing?" The brunette asked and looked down at Piper with a raised eyebrow, a characteristic little smirk painting her beautiful face, and Piper once again thought that that smirk exactly is what she... _liked..._ about her... _friend..._ so much each time she looked up at her smiling features.

And then Piper realized that she couldn't tell Alex about her perfume because that would mean that Piper had actually smelled Alex's neck... and THAT would be a little awkward. "Nothing really. I'm just happy you're here." _Really, Piper? Fucking smooth..._ The blonde felt the temperature rising in her cheeks and she hoped that Alex wouldn't notice the furious blush. Thank god, the lights in the room were fairly dim... Yet, the fact that both of Alex's eyebrows were lifted now indicated that the brunette did notice... everything. And now she was also smirking much more than a moment before.

"What is it?" _And of course she wouldn't just let it drop..._ Piper huffed in her thoughts.

"Pour Femme." Piper rolled her eyes at herself, a light pink color still adorning her pretty face.

"What?" Alex, on the other hand, looked perplexed.

"Your perfume." Piper looked up and the brunette's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. "You haven't changed it."

"Oh. Good nose." Alex grinned when she finally heard the explanation. And then she laughed out loud and it was Piper's turn to furrow her eyebrows in confusion and slight irritation.

"Sure, laugh at me. Fine." She huffed this time openly, unable to stop herself. She tried to cover her embarrassment with slight irritation.

"I'm not laughing at you, you little dork." Alex showed Piper the screen of her phone. She had been looking at it for a while now as she was talking to the blonde.

Lorna had sent Alex a picture and only when the brunette took out her phone to call Polly did she see that she had a message waiting for her. In the photo there was Laura with a big toothy grin on her face. She was sitting by a huge set of drums, with sticks in her hands, her arms stretched over her head. Next to her Piper and Alex could see Poussey with her own set of drumsticks, obviously going crazy on the instrument. Behind them there was Stella. She was covering her ears with her hands, her face scrunched in mock-horror. Nicky was also there with her guitar but she wasn't playing it. She was too busy laughing her ass off at the sight in front of her. It was pretty clear that they were having lots of fun.

Piper bust out laughing now too. "Oh god... Where are they?"

"Our recording studio." Alex grinned. "Guess it's better than the zoo."

"It's definitely louder." The blonde giggled again and Alex was happy that her friend's mood was much better now. She hoped that she would be able to keep it that way somehow. It was part of her promise to Laura after all. To make sure they're okay, keep them smiling against all odds.

Unfortunately, making that promise true was extra challenging. Alex had been aware of that and what happened next only made her more sure about the difficulties awaiting her.

Piper's phone started ringing loudly, startling the both of them. As it had turned out it was a call from one of the detectives investigating Piper's case and the woman didn't have good news to share with them. Larry's lawyers had applied for bond and the court granted it... making Piper's husband a sort-of-free man, at least till the trial. Upon receiving the information Piper's hands started to shake and even though Alex didn't hear what the cop had said, she could clearly see that whatever it was, it wasn't anything good. Piper looked terrified.

"Pipes?" The brunette asked tentatively when Piper was done with the phone conversation but she just put her down on the pillow, her eyes closed and lips quivering. She was trying to fight the hot tears pooling under her eyelids. Alex touched her hand, started to draw little circles on her wrist. "What is it?" Another quiet question. The longer the blonde remained silent, the more worried and agitated Alex became. This really did not look good. "What did she say?"

"He's out." Piper finally answered without opening her eyes.

Alex was confused for a second, her eyebrows furrowed, waiting for more answers. And then, she understood. They let Larry out. The moment that thought sparked in her mind, Alex could feel pure unstoppable anger rising within herself. Her muscles tensed, her jaw clenched and she shut her eyes so hard that they hurt. She had to use all of her willpower to control herself and not let Piper show how distraught she was upon hearing the news.

"The judge let him out on bond." The blonde whispered.

"Motherfuckers."

"Well... Rich motherfuckers whose half of the family are lawyers, prosecutors, judges... What on earth did I expect?" Piper huffed, her voice full of anger on her own but the trembling in her hands and the quivering in her voice made it clear that she was not only infuriated by the whole situation but also scared by it.

"Can you get a restraining order?" Alex sat up on the bed and looked down on the blonde. "You should probably get a good lawyer, too."

"The detective said that she would come by in about an hour and she'll bring the necessary paper work. I don't need a lawyer for that, I guess. It's the prosecutor's deal about the whole... beating up..." Piper stop to think for a while and Alex just looked at her without interrupting her thoughts. It was clear that the blonde was pondering about something. "I think I'll need a divorce lawyer, though." Piper finally whispered and looked up at Alex. "There's no way in hell I can come back to him... Ever."

Alex kissed her head out of the reflex before she could stop herself. "I know someone who can help us with that. I'll just need to call one person who'll give us a phone number to one of the best divorce lawyers in fucking LA." She smiled reassuringly at the blonde and started to search the address book of her phone. In less then a few seconds she found the number she needed.

Piper just observed her without asking any questions but when she heard the first words leaving Alex's mouth when she finally got through on the phone, her stomach dropped.

" _Andrea? Hi..."_

The blonde observed Alex's face intently. Searching for what? She didn't really know. The brunette talked a little to the other person on the phone. Nothing too personal, just a small talk before she would ask the real questions. She did seem a bit nervous and Piper wondered why. Maybe Alex was uncomfortable talking to Andrea in front of her for some reason?

" _Listen... I need a little help. Can you give me the phone number to Birnbaum? You know... the guy who handled your divorce case?"_

Piper's eyebrows went all the way to her hairline. Andrea was divorced? Damn, that woman was really good at keeping her private life... well? Private. The public didn't even know she had been married in the first place... No wonder something like a fling with a rock star hadn't even once appeared in the media... Had that just been a fling actually? Was that still going on? From what Piper had seen at the club, Alex was still _quite_ close to the beautiful businesswoman/ex-model.

" _Thank you, Andy."_ A little pause, Alex listening. _"Yeah, sure. Maybe sometime next week?"_ Piper's heart stopped for a short second. Alex laughed a little but it was a rather forced sound... Or did Piper want to believe that it wasn't entirely honest? _"Okay... Call me when you know."_ Click. Phone conversation over. Piper had literally a second to compose herself.

"She'll text me the number in a moment." Alex smiled.

"Didn't know she was a divorcee."

"Not many people know about this. Can you keep it to yourself?" The singer asked. "She's just a very private person and I wouldn't want her to..."

"Of course." Piper stopped Alex's rambling.

"Thanks."

"No... I thank you." Piper took Alex's hand in hers. "Really. You don't have to do all of this..."

"I know." It was Alex's turn to stop Piper's words. "But I really, _really_ want to."

"But..."

"I mean it. You should know me well enough that when I set my mind onto something there's nothing that could stop me so, _really,_ just stop arguing." Alex hugged her delicately again. "You are not alone."

"And I..." Piper started but Alex stopped her yet again.

"And _you_ are going to be just fine." The brunette smiled. "We'll make sure of that."


	8. Chapter 8

\- 8 -

Piper had to stay in the hospital for almost another full week before the doctors would announce that she was ready to go home. There had been an initial plan to let Piper go right after the weekend, on Monday, but she had been suffering from a minor fever so getting home early was out of the question. It infuriated the blonde but she had no other option but to listen to her doctors, so after a lot of fussing and huffing, she agreed. Alex thought that she looked kinda cute with that pouting face but,of course, she stopped herself from telling Piper that. It would only piss her off some more and that wasn't really necessary at the moment.

During those few extra days that Piper was forced to stay in the hospital bed two highly surprising things happened. They left both the blonde and Alex with their mouths gaping in utter astonishment and for a second they thought that there must have been some trick in that - life could not turn 180 degrees just like that. Well... maybe it wasn't that very life-turning for Alex, but in many ways it sure was for Piper.

Thing number one: Carol Chapman called Piper during the weekend. That itself wasn't surprising at all since the woman had been harassing her with calls and messages almost all the time, but what she said was surprising indeed. After the initial questions about Piper's health, Carol's voice quivered and she seemed to be hesitating before saying anything more. Hearing her mother so unsure of herself made Piper worried. She was sure that the woman would start the conversation about Larry again, even though she knew perfectly well what was Piper's opinion about the man. And she did start to speak about Larry... But in a way that made Piper's eyebrows lift up to her hairline and when Alex noticed that look on her face, she couldn't contain her worry from showing in her features. To be honest, the brunette had fucking enough of the whole Chapman family and their ways. She knew that Piper loved them but obviously that wasn't anything that they might consider important. Appearances, and appearances only... That was their only concern.

Alex waited patiently until Piper ended the conversation with her mother. It took her a while, too, but when she was finally finished, the brunette couldn't wait to hear the news. She was unable to read anything from Piper's face.

"So?" The brunette asked tentatively. "What did she want this time?"

Piper sat for a moment motionless on the bed. She looked as if she was contemplating her mother's words and her face was still something between completely blank and slightly surprised. She didn't really know how to react to what had just happened.

"She wanted to apologize." Piper stated and now the astonishment could be heard in her voice.

"What?" Alex laughed out. Piper couldn't be serious, right? Carol Chapman was never sorry. Never. For anything. Even if she knew she should be.

"Yeah..." Piper looked up at her and stared chuckling with disbelief. "Weird, isn't it?"

"You sure she wasn't high or something?"

"I don't know." The blonde whispered tiredly, still giggling slightly at the thought that her mother would be able to smoke some pot. "Either way... She won't be pushing me about Larry anymore."

"Wow." Alex smiled. She was still wary about Carol's motives. The woman might have been playing some sick games with Piper's mind, especially now when the blonde was that vulnerable, and the singer didn't want her friend to get hurt... again.

"Wow... Right?" Piper thought for a longer moment. "What do you think happened? Somebody hit her on her head with a brick or something?" Well... Maybe Alex didn't have to worry so much about Piper being dragged into her family's weird games. It seemed that the blonde didn't really believe her mother either. She was just surprised, that's all.

"Whatever she is about just be careful with her, okay?"

Alex couldn't help voicing her concerns. Maybe that made her look like some ungraceful asshole but the only people that she truly cared about here were Piper and Laura, and she felt that if Carol Chapman did something to hurt them again, Alex would unleash all her anger at the woman... and that in turn wouldn't look good at all. She wasn't sure whether Piper would appreciate such behavior. Probably not. So Alex promised herself to try and behave. _Be nice, Alex. Don't bite... Just yet._

And, thankfully, she didn't have to bite anyone for a day or two. Then, the second surprising thing happened: Danny Chapman decided to fly all the way from sunny Florida to sunny California and visit his sister. What he later in time told them made Alex really want to chop somebody's head off and surprisingly it wasn't a Chapman head. But first things first...

When he walked into the room on a beautiful Tuesday morning, Piper's jaw dropped all the way to the floor, utter shock painting her features, and for a long moment she wasn't able to say anything at all. Alex didn't recognize the man at the beginning and only after he referred to Piper as his "little sister" did the penny finally drop. The brunette had never seen him in person. Only on some photos which Piper had showed her when they were still teenagers. She watched as the tall handsome guy hugged the blonde delicately, careful not to hurt her.

"You look wonderful!" He joked.

"Sure. All black and blue." Piper smiled. "But it's okay now. I'm getting more on the purple side. I like that color more."

"Well... Blue always made your eyes look beautiful." He ruffled the blonde's hair a bit and turned to face Alex. "I'm Daniel Chapman, Piper's brother." He introduced himself and extended his hand for the singer to shake. His smile was warm and his eyes were equally blue like Piper's.

"Alex Vause, Piper's friend." The brunette chuckled a bit. "What a surprise to see you here."

"Well, I guess my sister must have told you about me then." He smiled again. "The forever-absent older brother, huh?"

"Yep." They both turned back to Piper when they heard her voice from behind. "What are you doing here, Danny? Did our mother call you?"

"That she did." He raised his hand up to stop Piper from speaking before she managed to utter a single word. "But I really wanted to come here and see you. Check if I can help in any way."

Piper's features brightened up upon hearing that. "It is good to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah... Way too long a while, really." He sat down on a chair next to Piper's bed. "And I am sorry for that. Just because I didn't want to spend too much time with our parents didn't mean I couldn't come and see you... So... Again, I'm sorry."

"You're here now, so... We can catch up... It's not like I have so much to do." Piper smiled as she showed around her room. "Time goes by pretty slowly here, as you can imagine."

Alex observed the conversation between the two siblings. It was good to know that at least one of the members of the blonde's family was willing to show his concern about her. And judging by the look on Piper's face, she was highly pleased to see her brother, no matter how unexpected that visit was. Alex knew that the two hadn't seen each other for years so there would be a lot to talk about. That was good, too. It would fill Piper's time with something more than just prone waiting to be released... as if she was in some sort of prison.

"Listen guys, I'll get going, leave you two to do your things." She winked at Piper.

"You don't have to go." The blonde protested with furrowed eyebrows. Somehow she was always more content when Alex was around, as if her pure presence was enough to calm Piper down and make her feel safer.

Danny watched that short exchange of words with amused smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah, stay. I'd love to get to know you better." Happy mischief still playing in his blue eyes and Alex just had to raise one of her eyebrows at that. "Since you're Piper's _best friend_..." (Why did he have to say it that way? Alex was perplexed.) "...and all."

"Okay..." She stated carefully and it was pretty obvious that the way he spoke raised also Piper's curiosity. "But actually I really need to go and pick Laura up from school." She looked down at her watch. "She's about to finish classes in half an hour."

"Great! Bring her here." He grinned. "This day is getting better and better. I got to finally meet you and now I can finally meet her as well."

 _Finally meet me? What the hell?_

"Sure." Alex answered with an amused chuckle. "We can _all_ catch up, obviously." She looked at Piper with puzzlement but the blonde just shook her head, indicating that she also had no idea what her brother was alluding at.

XxXxX

"So uncle Danny is here?" Laura asked curiously as she was walking down the street with Alex. She was wearing her school uniform and the brunette thought that she looked downright cute in it. Especially with her huge backpack (of course it had to be bright red). She looked like a tiny sweet geek and Alex couldn't help grinning like a madman every time she casted her eyes down at the little girl.

"Yep." Alex answered as she continued to sip on her coffee. They had stopped on their way to the hospital to grab a fast lunch... and something sweet for Laura. Now the girl was pretty happy to hold a portion of cotton candy. Thank god she had chosen the normal, white, kind. Piper would have killed them both if Laura stained her brand new school uniform and everybody knew how hard it was to control cotton candy...

Alex had taken the little girl shopping during the weekend. It had been necessary to buy all the school supplies, uniform and some books. Ever since she and Piper had found out that Larry was walking free (for the time being), they did everything they could to avoid coming back to Piper's old apartment... and since money was not really a problem, Alex and Laura had enjoyed a lovely shopping spree. Alex might have forgotten to tell Piper that they had bought not only the necessities but also some extra things for Laura, such as some new board games and a huge box of Lego bricks and pieces. The girl had to do something in her free time, right? And it was way better than spending her time playing some stupid games on Alex's cell. The brunette limited that to maximum fifteen minutes a day. See? She could be strict... if she really wanted to.

"Is he nice?" Laura asked again as she fought an especially big bite of her cotton candy which simply refused to go into her mouth. Most of the girl's face was now covered with the sticky foam.

"Uhmm... He seems nice, I guess." Alex chuckled as she crouched down and proceeded to help Laura clean her face best she could. They were slowly approaching the hospital and the brunette didn't want Piper to throw a tantrum at them... again... They might have been indulging themselves in too much candy recently. Alex would have to limit that as well, if not for Laura's sake then for her own. She hadn't been training her ass off for the last several months and cultivating her lovely six-pack to have it ruined now by not-so-occasional sweet stuff. "This is the last cotton candy this week, pumpkin." Alex stated seriously while still trying to wipe the thing off of Laura's face.

"But it's only Tuesday..." The girl whined and rolled her eyes. It was good that she didn't choose to throw Alex her puppy face because the brunette would have to fight much harder for her strong will. The roll of her eyes and whining? She could handle that much better.

"All of your teeth will be rotten and your mother will kill me. Do you really want me dead?" She looked with mock-seriousness at the child but instead of being sad or angry Laura started to laugh. "I'm glad that you find it funny." It was Alex's turn to huff.

"You scrunch your face funny way when mommy screams at you." The girl giggled. Truth to be told, Piper had already had a few occasions to show her concern on how Alex was spoiling her daughter and she wasn't really gentle about it either. It had been good to see the blonde slowly coming back to her normal self and if she was able to get angry like that, that clearly meant that she was getting better indeed.

Alex held one of her fingers in front of the kid's face. "One: I do not make a funny face." She lifted the second finger. "And two: your mommy doesn't scream at me." And then she proceeded to clean her own hands since she noticed that the cotton candy had somehow managed to cling to her fingers as well. "Oh... And three: no cotton candy ever again. That shi... that _thing_ gets everywhere."

Laura burst out laughing for good now. "Yeah, well. It's on my cast as well."

"Your cast is getting yucky." Alex held it closer to her nose. "What the heck were you doing today? It smells like mud." She scrunched her face in disgust.

"You make exactly the same face when mommy screams at you." Laura sniggered.

"She doesn't scream at me." Alex felt the need to stress that again.

"Sure she doesn't. She just explains things to you... loud and clear." The little blonde continued to laugh as she followed Alex into an elevator since they had already arrived at the hospital and were now going up to Piper's ward.

"Remind me to ask your doctor when we would be able to replace your cast."

"What's wrong with it? I like it as it is." Laura whined again. Yep, she could be so much like her mother sometimes. It was cute and annoying at the same time.

But this time Alex knew immediately what bothered her companion. "We'll get you much lighter one... Plus, I'll tell the girls to cover it with tattoos again. Don't you worry." She ruffled Laura's hair and the girl's mood came back to the cheery one.

"Mommy hates them." She giggled right as they entered Piper's room.

"What do I hate?" Piper asked from her bed. Danny was still sitting next to her and it seemed that both of them were in good moods.

"My tattoos."

"Your... _what_?" Piper's eyes shot up to Alex and pure disbelief was shining in them... with a little hint of bubbling anger. The brunette just had to laugh upon that vision but before she managed to say anything, Laura butted in.

"Screaming rage level hmmm... 3 is coming. Get ready." The child chuckled.

Piper turned her head abruptly to her daughter. "What?"

"You really think I would allow Laura to get real tattoos?" The singer laughed. "Jeez... Have some faith in me..." She looked down at the little girl, her eyes telling her to shut up about the screaming thing.

"Why do I feel like there's some funny communication between you two here?" Piper asked but rather than that fresh anger, there was only mirth in her voice this time.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Both Laura and Alex said at exactly the same time and after a few seconds of silence everyone burst out laughing.

When they finally calmed themselves down, they just sat for a few hours talking and laughing and gossiping and every time Alex looked at Piper, she had the feeling that a great burden was lifted from her shoulders. There were still a lot of bruises on her face and hands, her arm was still broken and her surgery wound still hurt... But she was healing slowly and that fact brought great warm relief to Alex. They needed time but they were going to be just fine.

At some point one of the nurses who remembered Laura well from her staying in the hospital, took the girl to show her some new toys that were brought to the hospital's playroom. Listening to the adult talk was slowly making her bored so she followed the woman gladly.

"Did you hit Carol with a brick or something?" Piper asked Danny when the room was free from Laura's curious ears. Some of the conversations shouldn't be witnessed by small children.

The man chuckled. "What? No."

"But you said that you talked to her on the phone the other day and she called me, full of remorse and all. I don't think that's a coincidence." She looked at him expectantly.

"I did not beat our mother up... But I might have said something about her outrageous behavior... And..." He stopped himself from saying anything more and looked up at Alex.

"You can say anything. I will tell her anyways..."

Alex stood up to leave. "It's okay, guys. I'll go and check on Laura."

"No, wait. I'm sorry. I know you're _close_." He smiled at them and suddenly both Alex and Piper felt a little uncomfortable. Of course they were close. They were best friends for god sake. But the way Danny said that... felt a little weird. Yet, they both chose to ignore his tone. Or at least they pretended that they ignored it and Alex sat back down on her chair, opposite to Piper's brother.

The blonde cleared her throat before speaking and Alex was sure then that she was not the only one who was nervous in that room. "What did you tell Carol?"

"I just told her that I thought that forcing you to help that scumbag was simply the most fucked-up thing she has ever done in her life and if she didn't stop being such a bitch, she might as well cross me off of her contact list because I refuse to have people like her around me." Danny said calmly with a wicked smile on his face.

The room was quiet for a moment. Piper's mouth opened and closed again as if she was unable to find the right words to address what Danny had just said. And then she burst out laughing so hard that she had to put her hand on her abdomen because the stitches stung her from all the strain. She winced slightly in pain but she still couldn't stop the bubbling laughter coming right from her belly, bright tears shining in her eyes.

"I can't believe you said that to her!" She exclaimed still laughing. They all were fighting quite hard to contain their merriment.

"Well, I can't believe it either." Danny chuckled. "But I'm glad that I did because that seemed to finally get to her. Sort of a wake-up call, I guess." After taking a deep breath he looked up at Piper. "And she didn't really mean it, Piper."

"She didn't mean what?" The blonde was confused.

"To force you into doing anything... But she felt like she didn't have a choice. She didn't tell you anything because she didn't tell anyone about her problems."

"What do you mean now?" It was Alex's turn to get confused by the whole situation.

"A few years ago she borrowed from Larry's father some sum of money."

"What?" Piper gasped. "For what?"

"Our dad didn't know anything about it." That information only made both Piper and Alex furrow their eyebrows some more. What the hell was going on? "You do remember that our lovely mother had a tendency to... well... drink a little bit too much wine here and there... Then a little bit too much of gin here and there..."

"Yeah, but what about the money? Don't tell me she drank everything away because I'm gonna start laughing again." Piper huffed.

"No. But she did gamble it all away..."

Piper burst out laughing but when Danny didn't start to laugh with her, she shut up. "You're not joking..." She stated, obviously shocked. "How much?"

"Almost fifteen thousand dollars..." He took another deep breath. "Our father doesn't know anything about it. He also doesn't know what she did here... Bloom harassed her into doing this. Told her that if she didn't, he would tell Bill everything. She really didn't mean it, Piper. She just didn't know what to do."

"That's so... fucked up." Alex put her glasses on the top of her head and buried her fingers into her hair. As it turned out, all members of the Bloom family were even more evil than she had previously assumed. Now the brunette wasn't sure whose head she would like to bite off more, Larry's or his father's...

"So why did she make that phone call to me recently?"

"I gave her the money. I had some savings. Well... I gave the money to Mr Bloom... And told him to go fuck himself. I wasn't sure whether that would be smart to give it to our mother."

"Damn..." Both Piper and Alex whispered.

"Yeah... Well... Bloom still might tell our father about the whole thing so I don't think Carol is that much off the hook just yet. She might think that but I wouldn't be so sure if I were her... Anyways, it's over now so whatever happens now, Carol will have to deal with it." Danny put his elbows onto the knees and rubbed his face with his hands. In that position he looked a little tired. The flight and all the emotions must have had some influence on him, too.

"How long are you going to stay here?" Piper asked. They hadn't talked about it yet and the blonde wanted to know how much time she had with her brother before he would have to return to Miami where he lived and worked as an architect. He was quite good at his job too but that also meant that he was very busy most of the time.

"I must jump on a plane tomorrow morning actually." Danny admitted sadly. "I'm currently working on a very important project for one of the biggest hospitals in Miami and I simply must be back but I promise to visit you again as soon as things slow down a bit at my work."

This situation saddened Piper. She knew that Danny's visit would probably be a short one but at the same time she was hoping that he would stay in LA at least a few days.

She forced herself to smile. "That's okay. Thank you for coming here anyway. You didn't have to fly all the way here just to say hi. You could've just called."

"I wanted to see you. I had been thinking about it for a while now but somehow something always had got in the way... You know how life can be." He smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I know." Piper turned her head to Alex. "Danny boy here is getting married... Finally." She grinned.

"Congrats, man!" Alex pat him on the shoulder.

"Can you believe it? Both of my brothers are all grown up and responsible now."

"Hey! I'm older than you, you ass." Danny laughed. "And I wouldn't say Cal is that grown up and responsible at all..."

"Well... He better be if he's going to be a father soon." Piper chuckled.

"Cal's girlfriend is pregnant?" Alex asked in surprise. The blonde hadn't told her anything about it.

"Yeah, I've just found out myself. He called today when you left to pick Laura up from school."

"Wow..." Alex whispered with amusement. "Call the kid will have a kid on his own. Weird. Suddenly, I feel so old." She laughed and Piper and Danny chuckled with her.

"And honestly... _I_ feel kinda tired." Danny finally admitted. "I need to get my ass out of bed before 5 am tomorrow so I should be going, I'm afraid." He looked at his watch. "It is almost 8 pm now so..." He stood up from his chair.

Alex jumped up to her feet as well. "Damn, it is getting a little late and Laura hasn't done her homework yet."

Piper looked up at the brunette with a fond smile on her face. She hadn't expected her friend to be so responsible and so committed to looking after her daughter. Yeah, she sure had known that Alex would be a fun guardian, someone with whom Laura would be able to spend some interesting weekend or even a week... But Alex had turned out to be so much more than that. And even though Piper had voiced some of her concerns about certain things... The brunette was simply wonderful. She would make sure that Laura did well at school, she would care about Laura's diet (well... most of the time, anyways), she would spend some real quality time with the girl and so on... All of it made Piper's heart grow fonder of the singer (if that was even still possible).

"Yeah, she did mention some math equations... You sure you can handle that?" The blonde chuckled while still looking at Alex. "I clearly remember how you used to hate school." She grinned some more.

"Babe, please... You would be surprised how good I am with multiplication table. Damn, I was surprised myself." Alex chuckled back.

A light shade of pink warmed Piper's cheeks up. She was caught off guard with the term of endearment. She hadn't expected Alex to refer to her in such a way but it seemed that the singer herself hadn't even registered that. It had just rolled off of her tongue so naturally. So now, as Piper was sitting there slightly dumbfounded, Alex was idly packing her bag without sparing her even one look while Danny stared at the both of them with pure amusement shining in his blue eyes and a little smirk adorning his lips.

"What are you grinning about, big man?" Alex asked with a smile on her own when she finally looked at him. He was actually a little bit taller than her and was the first man in a long time that hadn't paid attention to Alex's height, a fact which the singer liked a lot about him. In fact, she liked a lot about Danny. He was all that Piper had used to tell her and some. It was good to have him at their side.

Her little question only made his grin grow wider. "You're cute." He simply stated, which only earned him a scowl and a raised eyebrow from Alex.

"Who are you referring to?" The brunette chuckled as she moved on to packing Laura's bag.

"The two of you."

Alex stopped her actions and looked at him again. Piper did the same, surprise and confusion painting her features.

"Jeez... Thanks... You're cute too, I guess." The brunette chuckled again and resumed the packing, desperately trying to avoid whatever conversation Danny was hoping to evoke. She didn't like where that was going and she didn't really think there was anything to talk about. Besides, she also wasn't sure what Danny knew about her and Piper. As far as the brunette knew, none of the members of the blonde's family were aware of them ever being together so...

Danny just shook his head in amusement but thankfully didn't say anything more, which seemed to calm Piper down too since she released a long breath after he started to gather his things as well.

When both him and Alex were ready to leave (the brunette offered to drop him off at his hotel), he hugged the blonde close and promised once again to visit as soon as he only could. It was very possible that the next time he would be in LA, he would bring his fiancée along so that Piper could finally meet the woman with whom he was planning to spend the rest of his life with.

A single peck to Piper's forehead from Alex, along with a 'see you tomorrow, kid' and the blonde was alone in her hospital room again. Yet, this time she was smiling. Her anxiety wasn't completely gone just yet but thanks to Danny's unexpected (but very welcomed) visit, she was much calmer about her relations to her family. Yes, Alex had been right – it was good to have him on their side.

XxXxX

"Ally, can I finish watching that Sponge Bob episode on your phone while we're on the way?" Laura asked loudly from the backseat of the car. They had been driving for a while now and Danny's hotel was still a few miles away. The traffic was especially heavy that day.

"Sure thing. You can grab the headphones from my bag, they're in the side pocket." Alex informed without looking at her. She was too busy changing the lines and hoping to get out of the traffic jam before going crazy. She hated the waiting...

Danny had been pretty quiet up till then. He was simply observing their surroundings. Sometimes Alex would comment on some building or a monument. She would point to him some famous sights if they happened to be passing by them or near them. Except for that, their shared ride was a rather calm one. Comfortable. Easy.

"You and my sister used to date, right?"

And then it was no longer comfortable, nor easy, nor calm... _Fuck._

In fact, Alex almost drove her beautiful Land Rover (yes, another car from her mini collection) right into the rear of the car in front of them. Hitting the brakes hard evoked a loud 'heeey' from Laura and a loud laugh from Danny.

"Sorry." She muttered as her brain tried to come up with a decent answer to the man's question. What was she supposed to say? He wasn't supposed to know. Right?

Unfortunately, Laura didn't take off the headphones and she didn't suddenly decide to join their little conversation and change the topic of it. Nope, that option didn't work so that meant that Danny was still sitting next to her and he was still expecting some sort of answer from Alex.

She dared to look at him... Yep. He was just sitting there and looking at her expectantly, a little smile on his lips and eyes showing a rather big dosage of mirth. Okay... Maybe it won't be so bad?

And then he laughed. One single funny sound. As if the lack of answer was an answer on its own. And to be fair - it probably was.

"Yeah, I figured that much." Danny said after another few minutes of silence and when Alex still had a problem with finding the right words, he simply continued his little monologue and the brunette was glad that she wasn't forced to comment just yet. "She would always talk so much about you. Alex did _this_ and Alex said _that_." He chuckled. "Every time we were on the phone, she would relate to me your little adventures. Not once would she mention Larry, unless I specifically asked her about him... At the beginning I didn't think much of it. I was simply glad to hear my sister so happy and excited and bubbly. She had never been like that before." Alex couldn't help a little sad smile and then she looked at him again and there was a wide smile on his lips as well. He was still staring at her. "And then you were suddenly gone and Piper no longer even mentioned your name. When I asked, she refused to say anything. Just that you were no longer friends." He looked out of the window and then back at Alex. "You've got a green light." He chuckled when someone blew the horn at them.

"Sorry." Alex muttered again, too caught up in the moment to remember that she was actually the driver here.

"Anyways... That was when I figured out you guys must have been more than just friends." Danny continued when Alex finally got the car moving again, thus probably saving them from the wrath of the driver behind them. "Friendships end but that doesn't leave people so distraught. Friendships usually just die out with time, as people grow apart. Yours ended abruptly. Friends don't split like that, lovers do." He concluded and it seemed that this time he wasn't waiting for any type of answer from Alex.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Alex's throat was dry as sand and she was still nervous. She hadn't expected this sort of conversation with any of the members of Piper's family.

"Chill." Danny bumped her arm with a little laugh. "I just wanted to sate my curiosity. And your panicky reaction just speaks volumes." He chuckled some more and Alex glared at him.

She looked back at Laura. The girl was still absorbed by the movie clip on the mobile, completely oblivious to the conversation flowing around her, and it calmed Alex down a bit. She didn't want the child to know more than she needed to know.

"We're not together." She stated turning her attention back to Danny.

"I know. I've _noticed_ , thank you very much." He smiled again and the tone of his voice made Alex furrow her eyebrows... Which in turn only evoked more chuckles from him. He also had little ghosts of dimples in his cheeks. They must run in the Chapman family, obviously. "But I've also noticed that Piper is much happier around you. Gives me hope that that old Piper is still there somewhere." He paused, as if contemplating before saying the next thing. "And I hope that one day she will come back to her happy, excited, bubbly self."

Now Alex's throat felt tight and she had to clear it several times before she was able to muster a single word. "I hope that too, Danny." She just whispered.

The man patted Alex on her back. "So we're on the same mission here, partner." He grinned.

Yep. It was good to have him on their side.

XxXxX

After Danny's visit, Piper's health continued to improve day by day. The fever was gone, her surgery wound was getting better and better and even her arm didn't cause her so much trouble anymore. It was still in the cast, of course, but now she could move it around a bit without wincing in pain. Her split lip also seemed to be healing up pretty well. All in all, she was slowly looking more like herself and it brought great joy not only to Alex and Laura but also to all of their friends who couldn't wait till she was released from the hospital.

And that wonderful day finally came. Dr Sullivan announced that he would let Piper go home on Friday so that she could enjoy the weekend with her family and friends in somewhat more normal surroundings. He also stressed on many occasions that Piper still needed help and that she was to take it easy. Actually, the whole list of 'dos and don'ts' that he gave to Alex seemed to be a few meters long, but the brunette promised to fulfill every single bullet point written by the doctor and it finally calmed him down... a little.

On Friday morning, Alex dropped Laura off at school. The girl had already missed so many classes because of that whole situation that skipping another day was not an option and even though she almost cried about it, Alex was adamant that she had to go to school. Especially that the academic year was almost over and there were final tests awaiting for the little girl just the next week. The brunette did promise her though that it would be Bennet, Nicky and Lorna who would pick her up after classes and that seemed to placate her a bit. She adored the two women and Bennet would be there for the protection.

After a little struggle with Laura by the school, which took Alex way longer than she had assumed it would, she was finally able to go to the hospital. She was super excited... and a little nervous. For the last two days she had been doing everything in her power to make her hotel suite comfortable enough for the blonde. There had been put an extra chest of drawers for Piper's clothes and a desk for Laura in the bedroom. The shower stall had been equipped with railings, just in case Piper needed them. In the living room area there was now an extra chaise longue for Piper to spend her days in. Alex just hoped that that was enough for now. She was painfully aware that it would be probably best for her to start looking for a real place to stay... An apartment or a house... But she pushed those worries to the back of her mind for now.

 _Now, I have a much more pleasant thing to do._ Alex grinned to herself as she entered Piper's ward. Yes, she was a little nervous but she was also very happy that finally she would be able to take the blonde 'home'.

As she was walking down the long corridor leading to Piper's room, she stumbled upon Dr Sullivan and she was actually happy to see him. She had been planning to pay him a short visit anyways, so having him there was even more convenient.

"Hello, doc!" The brunette smiled happily at the man and he returned the gesture warmly. They had become quite accustomed to seeing each other every other day.

"Hi, Alex." He extended his hand to welcome her. "Good to see you in such a bright mood. Is Piper all packed up?"

"Sure. She's ready since yesterday, I guess." Alex chuckled when she remembered how giddy Piper truly was to get the hell away from there. The blonde had always hated hospitals and being forced to stay in one for such a long time was really a great struggle for her, no matter how nice all the doctors and nurses were.

Dr Sullivan laughed quietly. "I bet she is. You've got the recommendations and so on, right?" He wanted to make sure again that Alex wouldn't confuse anything.

"Of course. I've learned them by heart by now." The brunette grinned again and judging by the doctors chuckle, he thought she was joking but she honestly wasn't. She had read that damn list of advice million times already. "And you made sure my little request got to the accountancy department, right?" She asked the man in front of her. At the beginning of that week he had approached Alex with the information that, unfortunately, not all of the service that the hospital had provided Piper with can be covered by her health insurance. Actually, the sum of money that the treatment had generated had turned out to be quite big. The brunette had been glad that the doctor had decided to warn her about it before presenting any invoice to Piper. After a little persuading, she had managed to convince him not to let Piper know about those payments at all and issue the invoices in Alex's name instead. She was sure that if the blonde had found out about that, she might have been furious but that was the whole point... she wouldn't have to find out about that now at all.

"Yes, sure. It's all been settled. You should receive the paperwork sometime next week."

"Thanks." Alex smiled at him. "So, all _her_ paperwork is done too, I assume."

"Sure. She's good to go." Dr Sullivan held his thumbs up. "Good luck and see you next week at the check-up."

"Sure thing." Alex threw over her left arm since she was already on her way to see Piper.

When she entered her room, she couldn't contain the warm feeling spreading slowly inside her. Piper was sitting on her bed but this time her legs were dangling on the side as if she was just a little girl. She was wearing comfortable black yoga pants and a simple, a little over-sized, white t-shirt. It was especially hot that day in LA so she didn't need any sweater or a hoodie. Her arm was in a sling but overall she looked rather comfortable. There was a wheelchair next to the bed and a small bag full of Piper's belongings.

"Hey, kid!" Alex called cheerfully and the way Piper beamed at her made her heart skip a beat or two. The blonde was obviously equally excited to get home as Alex was excited to get her there. "Fancy going for a ride with me?" The brunette asked as she bowed in front of Piper in an exaggerated manner, making the blonde laugh out loud.

"Hmmm... Depends... Where to?" She teased lightly.

" _Let's ride into the sunset together..._ " Alex started to mockingly-sing an old country song that she and Piper had used to laugh about many years before " _...Stirrup to stirrup, side by side..._ "

The blonde started to giggle like crazy. "Oh God... Not that song... Please..."

" _When the daaaaaay is throoooough..._ " Alex continued undeterred as she took one of Piper's hands just for the effect, making her friend laugh even more.

"Al, _shut up_." She glanced around to make sure that nobody heard them and then stared back at Alex and tried to look as serious as she could.

" _Into the sunset we will ride._ " Alex started to giggle herself when Piper yanked her hand away from her grasp.

"If you start yodelling, I'm going to smack you with a pillow." The blonde threatened but her chuckles sold her away. Despite that, Alex raised her arms in mock-surrender and grinned.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, let's go before you make a bigger fool out of yourself." Piper stated as she started to get up from the bed slowly. Her legs were still a little shaky but she was able to walk now quite... okayish. She passed the wheelchair without sparing it a single look.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alex turned around. She had Piper's bag already in one of her hands while her other hand lied on one of the handles on the wheelchair. "Get your ass in here. They won't let you leave the hospital on your feet."

The blonde just stared at her. "You're kidding right?"

"Nope, I'm afraid I'm not. C'mon..." She patted the seat. "Let's be nice and follow the regulations."

Piper huffed a little, making Alex chuckle. "Since when do you go by the rules?" She asked with mock-surprise but finally sat down on the chair, making sure to show how very displeased she was with that situation. She had been lying in that damn bed almost full two weeks and she had enough of being treated like a child. If they didn't think she should be walking, why were they letting her go home then?

"Awww... Stop being such a grumpy." Alex whispered right into her ear as she steered the wheelchair into the right direction, that of the back exit. She had parked her car at the back of the hospital because Dr Sullivan had fixed her a special pass to the parking lot reserved for the hospital's employees. The brunette was very thankful for that since it would give her and Piper some more privacy. Some of the paparazzi that would often follow Alex around had gotten the information that the brunette had been spending quite some time at the hospital and one of the nurses informed her that on a few occasions she had seen some guys with big cameras around. It infuriated the signer, but there wasn't much that she could do so she tried not to think about it too much. Thankfully, Dr Sullivan turned out to be their savior once again.

Feeling Alex so close to her made the hair on Piper's neck stand on end and a light shiver run down her spine. She closed shut her eyes close and took a quiet yet deep breath to compose herself. "I'm not grumpy." She tried to sound convincing.

"I sure damn hope so." Alex grinned. "I'm taking you home, kid." The brunette stopped the wheelchair at the side of her car and hugged Piper lightly from behind, kissing her temple while doing so, and Piper couldn't stop a huge grin on her own lips.

XxXxX

Thankfully, this time the city seemed to be almost deserted so the drive to the hotel took them less than half an hour. Alex parked her Land Rover in the underground parking lot, right next to the elevators so that Piper wouldn't have to walk too far. The blonde kept saying that she was okay but Alex could see that her movements were still uncertain a bit and after any longer activity she was a bit short of breath and seemed to be in a little pain from her surgery wound. Everything was healing just nicely but even with that Piper was still very weak.

Laura wouldn't get back from school until late afternoon so when they entered Alex's hotel suite, they were surrounded with blissful silence. After having spent whole days in a hospital that was never truly quiet, Piper thought she was in heaven. She looked around. There was big open space with a sofa, coffee table, TV and... a very comfortable looking chaise longue with a nice lamp next to it. There was also a small kitchen area and Piper recognized some of Laura's notebooks lying on the counter. There was also a chess-board which looked abandoned in the middle of the game.

"We were supposed to finish yesterday after doing homework but... oh well..." Alex smiled. "I guess watching 'Hobbit' took the priority." She looked at the blonde and she could see that Piper was getting a little tired by now. It was the longest she had been walking around since before that horrible night. "How about you take a nap and I'll fix us something to eat in the meantime?" Alex took Piper's hand to show her where the bedroom is. "There's a comfy bed and..."

"I'd rather stay here, if that's okay." The blonde smiled.

"Of course." Alex grabbed a fluffy blanket and a pillow and made the sofa more comfortable for Piper. The blonde lied down carefully and she winced a little when the surgery wound stretched a bit too much. "You okay?" Alex knew that Piper didn't like it when she was so overprotective but she couldn't help herself.

"Actually, I am very good." Piper smiled up at her when she finally nestled comfortably. Her eyes were getting a little heavy so she concluded that Alex's idea about the nap wasn't half bad after all. Especially that it was so blissfully quiet there and that sofa was so blissfully comfy...

"Good." Alex smiled down at her when she saw that the blonde was already half in the land of dreams.

"Wake me up in an hour or so, m'okay?" Piper mumbled with her eyes closed and she was actually too far gone to hear Alex's reply.

XxXxX

Piper slept like a log for over two hours and even though Alex had promised to wake the blonde up, she let her rest as long as she needed. And obviously Piper must have been more tired than she had been showing.

It was almost 1 o'clock when she finally opened her eyes. Confusion painted them for a moment before she remembered where she was. She slowly looked around the room, which was now brightly lit by the hot Californian sun, yet it was pleasantly cool inside thanks to the wonders of high-tech air conditioning.

On the opposite side of the coffee table her eyes finally found Alex. She was sitting comfortably on the chaise longue with a book in her hand. She hadn't noticed yet that the blonde was awake now so Piper had a rare chance to observe her unabashedly. The singer was now wearing loose-fitting black harem pants and an old faded t-shirt with a name of a rock band on the front. Her hair was wet and she was without any make-up, obviously fresh out of the shower. _She looks so calm... and beautiful._ The blonde smiled to herself.

Alex continued to read, still completely unaware of the eyes tracking her every movement. She moistened the tip of her finger and turned the page slowly. _How even such little gestures could be so damn... well... beautiful?_ Piper decided to focus her sight elsewhere and when her eyes landed on the title of the book that Alex was holding, a small smirk appeared on her lips when she realized what the brunette had been reading.

"Never do anything yourself that others can do for you." Piper chuckled, the sleep still lingering in her voice.

Alex's eyes shot up from her book and her sight landed directly at Piper's. A huge toothy grin appeared on her lips. "That's from a different book, Pipes."

"I know... 'The Labours of Hercules'. But these are still Christie's words."

"So did you use that quotation on purpose then?" Alex's grin only got wider. There weren't that many people in her social circle with whom she was able to hold an interesting talk about literature and even if this current one seemed a little silly and in joking-manner, she still enjoyed it immensely.

Piper narrowed her eyes. "I believe you promised me something good to eat so... Where's my lunch?" She asked as if she were some kind of queen expecting her servants to do whatever she pleased and it was exactly that look that evoked a rich laughter from the brunette. Piper loved that sound. That raspy bubbly chuckle. And she couldn't contain her own smile now. Of course it ruined the whole royal look but she didn't care anymore.

Alex put the book down on the coffee table and stood up. "Coming right up, princess." She winked at the blonde. "I'm glad that you've worked up your appetite. Shows you're getting better." Plus, Alex was happy to serve Piper food because the blonde was still painfully skinny. Short two weeks wouldn't heal what had been being damaged for long years. "Do you actually want to eat in bed or maybe you're good to join me by the table?" Alex turned her attention back to her friend.

"Definitely by the table. I think I've had enough of the horizontal position already." Piper stated as she slowly put her feet on the ground and got herself ready to get up.

"The horizontal position is good for you." Alex chuckled and Piper shot her a glare. "What? It's just what Dr Sullivan said." The brunette defended herself with poorly faked innocent look on her face. "C'mon, let me give you a hand." She walked closer to the sofa and extended her arm for Piper to grab and the blonde gladly accepted it. She wished she could be totally independent already but she knew that would take her a while.

Alex pulled her gently into standing position and she did that so effortlessly that it made Piper wonder how very strong the brunette actually was. Sure, Piper wasn't a heavy person but still... The blonde dared a fast look at Alex's flexing biceps. She sure had been working out a lot... Like, _really_ a lot.

Piper sat on a barstool by the small kitchen counter and before she was able to adjust her position into a comfortable one, Alex had already put a plate in front of her.

"Wow... This actually looks delicious." Piper stated in honest awe.

"It's just a chicken salad, Pipes." Alex stated amusedly as she put a plate with some home-made bread on it. "What would you like to drink?" She asked when she opened the fridge. "I've got water, orange juice, ice-tea, wine..." She looked up at Piper again with a smirk. "Oh, wait. You can't drink alcohol." The smirk turned into a green when she noted the blonde's annoyed look.

"I'd kill for a glass of chilled dry wine... white." Piper mused dreamily as she put a little cherry tomato into her mouth.

"Well, kid, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for that a little longer."

Alex sat down on the opposite side of the kitchen counter and started munching on a slice of bread while she looked at her cell phone and texted something really fast. She hoped that Nicky would receive the message before she left home.

"You're still on holiday for the next two weeks, right?" Piper asked after taking a sip of the freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice. "Damn, this is good too. When did you start to cook?" She chuckled pointing at the food in front of her.

Alex put her phone down and smiled at the blonde. "Again. It's just a damn salad. And yeah, I'm totally free for full two weeks. Maybe even a little longer. We're supposed to head into the recording studio after this little break but there's a chance I will be able to persuade the girls and Red to postpone it a bit. I'm pretty sure all of us could use a little more of the easy time."

"I'm sorry for ruining this for you." The blonde's voice was quiet and showed a huge dosage of guilt – guilt that in Alex's eyes was completely uncalled-for. "I'll talk to my boss again tomorrow. He mentioned that I could rent the small apartment over the bookshop from him. He'll probably give me a good price so..."

"Are you kidding me?" Alex interrupted her track of thought. "You did _not_ ruin anything, Pipes." She took her hand and caressed it with her thumb reassuringly. "And you and Laura can stay here as long as you want. I love having you around." She admitted before she could stop herself and felt her cheeks flush a light shade of pink that she hoped Piper didn't notice.

"Thank you, Al... But you know that we can't stay here forever."

 _The fuck not?!_ Yet, Alex knew what Piper was trying to say and she was probably right. It's not like they were together or anything, right? Just because Larry was not really in the picture anymore didn't mean that they... _Stop even thinking like that, you asshole. You're supposed to be her friend, you're supposed to be supportive._ Alex scoffed herself mentally.

"I understand, of course. You want to have your life back." Alex smiled at her _friend_ and hoped that the blonde didn't detect how the pure prospect of her and Laura moving out saddened the singer. "All I'm saying is that you don't have to be in a hurry with the whole thing. Just chill here for a while, at least until you get stronger a bit. I'm really glad you're here." She looked her in the eye. " _Really_ really glad, okay?"

"Thank you." Piper finally gave up.

"You're very welcome." The brunette smiled and got back to eating her salad. "You're right. This salad _is_ pretty good." She winked at her companion.

XxXxX

"I can't believe you've just said that." Piper exclaimed with something close to annoyance, her voice pitch high and her hands up in the air. Nope. That wasn't _close_ to annoyance. That _was_ annoyance and Alex would be a damn liar if she said she didn't enjoy seeing Piper like that. She had always had fun pissing the blonde off on purpose while they had talked about some book or philosopher or a theater play. "We're discussing Kant here and all you can say is..." Piper made the air quotes "...'The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams'? Are you kidding me? That sounds like some Oprah Winfrey."

Alex was still facing Piper but she casted her eyes to the side, pretending to be thinking, before returning her gaze to the baby blues in front of her. "That _was_ Oprah Winfrey." She had to fight hard in order not to laugh out loud. She didn't want to blow her cover just yet. She was having too much fun watching Piper's brain fry. She wondered when the blonde would realize that she was just pulling her leg for purely entertaining reasons.

Piper was about to say something more but instead of voicing her further opinions on Alex's ignorance to Kant's philosophy she just opened and closed her mouth several times, making her look like a fish out of water, and Alex just couldn't take it anymore. Once the first rumbling chuckles escaped her lips, she was simply unable to stop herself.

"You're just fucking with me." The blonde narrowed her eyes at her friend but her finally stating the obvious only made Alex bubble over with laughter.

"Oh that was fast!" Both Piper and Alex whipped their heads around at the sound of Nicky's amused voice. The brunette threw the lion-haired woman an evil look for that god-damn stupid comment but Nicky simply ignored her completely and walked up to Piper to give her a hug.

"How did you get inside?" Alex chose to ask about that instead of saying 'hi' to her crazy friend.

"Laura's got one of your card-keys, you dumbass." Nicky answered as she plopped down on the sofa next to Piper. "So how's freedom treating you?" She wiggled her eyebrows as she asked the blonde.

But Piper didn't have the time to respond to that because suddenly she was engulfed in yet another bear-hug. Laura came running to the living room area right after she took off her backpack and (extremely dirty) trainers. One look at them and Alex was pretty sure that the mini-blonde was playing in the mud with her schoolmates again. Damn, she would really have to make sure that Laura's cast was replaced... fast.

"You're going to suffocate me, babe." Piper laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Alex made me go to school today." Laura exclaimed with a very accusative voice as she looked at the brunette and Alex was pretty sure that her eyes were throwing mini-daggers at her. But instead of feeling threatened, she was amused.

"So Alex made a good decision. You know that school is important."

"Yes, but that was unfair." Obviously Alex's was still banned from Laura's good books.

"Awww... C'mon, hon." Lorna ruffled the child's hair a bit. "Stop grumbling. We're all here now and we can celebrate." She grinned and Laura finally gave up her act of the injustice of the year.

And celebrate they did. Nicky and Lorna stayed with them for several hours and they were later joined by Poussey and Soso. Pennsatucky and Stella had gone with their partners on a holiday to Thailand. After Alex had bailed on their trip to Bora Bora, where all of them had been supposed to go together, Nicky had decided to stay in LA too. The other two band-mates were supposed to be back in two weeks.

It was almost 10 pm when finally all of their guests left. Laura was acting tough and pretended not to be sleepy but it was clear that she had enough excitement for the day. Her eyes were heavy and she was half sitting and half lying on the sofa next to Piper. Surprisingly, the blonde didn't seem too tired. Maybe the nap that she had taken during the day helped her keep her power levels up.

Alex entered the living room area. She had been preparing the bedroom for Piper and Laura and it took her a while. "Pumpkin, get up your ass up and jump to the shower. It's getting late." She addressed the little girl and Piper was highly surprised to see her daughter actually follow the brunette's orders without too much moaning. "And DO NOT wet your cast again, pretty please." Alex shouted after the child had already left and started to gather the empty dishes from the coffee table. Most of them were just plastic cups so she simply threw them into the dumpster and soon her suite looked good as new.

All this while Piper was keenly observing the brunette. She seemed completely at ease. Her movements were sure and full of grace even when she was just cleaning the damn dishes. Piper couldn't take her eyes away from her friend. Yet, there was one little thing that made the whole picture a little less pleasant. It was pretty obvious that the brunette was tired, exhausted even. Piper was sure that it was because Laura had forced her to sleep with the lights on and the brunette simply couldn't sleep in such conditions. Maybe tonight she would finally get some decent night of slumber.

"I'm off to bed, mommy. I'm sleepy." Laura whispered tiredly when she came our of the bathroom. She seemed much calmer now that Piper was home.

"Okay, sweety. Give mommy a kiss." Piper smiled at her daughter when she approached her. Right after giving her mother a peck on the cheek, she walked up to Alex and did the same after hugging her a little.

"Sleep well." The brunette ruffled the girl's hair before letting her go.

After few more rounds of 'nights' and 'sleep wells', Laura finally did go to bed and that left the suite completely quiet once again but it was comfortable silence. Alex busied herself for another while in the kitchen and Piper just stretched her legs on the sofa, a soft smile painting her lips as she stared at the ceiling.

"You look like a madman." Alex chuckled as she sat at the end of the sofa and took Piper's feet on her lap.

"Huh?"

"What's that smile all about?" The brunette started to knead Piper's left foot.

The blonde closed her eyes and she felt her body relaxing completely. "I'm just... so calm." She smiled a bit wider with her eyes still closed. " _God,_ that feels good. Where did you learn that?" She chuckled a bit, not really sure whether she really wanted to know.

"Actually... Me and Nichols took classes when we were in Goa two few years ago." Alex started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Piper lifted her head and looked at the brunette who was clearly amused by the memory.

"Nicky thought we would be practicing on some cute chicks. That was the only reason why she had us enrolled to those classes... And she ended up with an elderly man who was going bald." Alex laughed some more, trying to keep her voice down. She didn't want to wake Laura up. "If you could just see her face when she realized what was going on." Now Piper was laughing along too and it took them a while to calm down. When they did, Alex resumed her mini massage and for a moment she wasn't sure who enjoyed it more, she or Piper. It felt so natural to just be next to the blonde. She also didn't remember the last time she felt so calm.

"Are you asleep?" She asked the blonde after a few minutes of her ministrations.

"Nope." Again that radiant smile and Alex swore she would do anything just to see that exact smile all the time.

"Good... 'cause we need to change your bandage." And of course that made that wonderful smile disappear and the brunette missed it already. "But tell you what..." She smiled when Piper opened her eyes and looked at her. "...go grab a shower. It'll make you feel better. Then we'll work on that sexy scar and _then_ I'll have a little surprise for you."

That at least made Piper raise her brow. "What surprise?"

"Nuh, huh... It's not gonna work that way." Alex stood up and extended her arm to Piper to help her get up as well. "Don't act like your own daughter. I'm not going to tell you." She stated when Piper tried to throw her puppy-eyes look.

"You're not fun." The blonde pretended to be pouting a bit.

"I'm all fun." Alex grinned. "Now, hush, hush." It was only when Piper was almost closing the door to the bathroom, the brunette's brain registered that she might be in need of help. "I left you your pajamas and the bathrobe in there..." She hesitated a moment. "Do you need any help?"

"Don't worry... I won't get my cast all wet. I'm not Laura." Piper chuckled and Alex was grateful that she managed to make this little issue less serious.

XxXxX

Piper was lying on the sofa while Alex was putting on the coffee table all that she needed to change the bandage. When she was all set and done, she turned back to face the blonde.

"Okay, babe, strip." She kept the tone of her voice light and carefree and, thankfully, it made Piper laugh. She lifted her t-shirt exposing her abdomen and pushed her pants a little bit lower, not to much - just to make sure that Alex had comfortable access to her wound. Neither the blonde nor Alex felt really comfortable at that moment but it had to be done... Well, Piper might have seemed a little bit more tense than the brunette. She detested showing her body to anyone and even though this wasn't _like that_ this time, it didn't make the matters any better. Especially that it was Alex who was looking at her now.

"I'm just gonna unstick this thing..." Alex commented as she proceeded to do what Dr Sullivan had taught her to. "There." She smiled to herself with satisfaction when she managed to remove the old bandage without hurting Piper. "Now the disinfectant..." She poured some of the funny-smelling liquid onto a gauze. "This might sting a little." She warned the blonde but actually she ended up making a quiet hissing sound through her teeth and not Piper... which made the blonde giggle. "Stop giggling. You'll make the disinfectant roll down your pants... I don't think it will be a laughing matter then." And that, of course, made Piper laugh a little more.

The blonde looked down at her belly. "Nah, the pants would prevent it."

"Smart-ass." Alex looked up at her and threw her a wink before turning her attention back to the wound. "It looks actually pretty good. It's healing nicely." She smiled again. "Now we just need to give it a little air." She turned to the coffee table to prepare the new bandage and soon covered the scar with it, sticking it with a special tape to keep it in place. When she was finished, she delicately pulled Piper's t-shirt down. "There. All good." She patted the healthy part of the blonde's abdomen and smiled.

"Thanks, doc." Piper smiled sheepishly and slowly lifted herself to a sitting position which was now much more comfortable to her. She really did have enough of the horizontal one.

"You're welcome. And since you were such a good patient..." Alex got up and went to the kitchen to grab something from the fridge. Piper's eyes grew a little wide when the brunette proceeded to open something that looked like a bottle of white wine. She poured two glasses of the transparent liquid and came back to the sofa. She passed one of the glasses to Piper and sat down next to her.

"But I'm not supposed to drink alcohol." Her eyebrows were furrowed and pure confusion was painting her face.

"And you're not drinking alcohol, kid." Alex chuckled. "This fine beverage here... is alcohol-free dry white wine." She clicked her glass to Piper's. "Courtesy of Nicky Nichols. Cheers!"

Piper took a tentative sip. "It's actually tasty." Her smile could light up half of LA and Alex couldn't help laughing. "Where did she find it?" The blonde asked after taking another, much bigger, gulp.

"Don't worry. We've got plenty of it." Alex chuckled. "Can you imagine that that crazy woman ordered 30 bottles of that?"

"What?" Now it was Piper's turn to laugh out loud and she looked behind herself in the direction of the bedroom to make sure that she didn't wake Laura up but it seemed that the little girl was still out.

"Yeah." Alex chuckled. "Last year we were throwing a really big party for our friends, associates, etc. You get the point. And Nichols was responsible for the drinks and she ordered a lot of alcohol. Lorna had asked her to also buy some nice wine and Nicky, being Nicky, didn't know anything about wine. You know that she prefers much stronger beverages... So she ordered whatever wine which name caught her eye. All she knew was that it had to be dry and white... So..." Alex got up and brought the bottle to Piper.

The blonde's eyes widened with surprise before she burst out laughing again. " _Shebang_? Really?" She had to lie her head down on the armrest. She couldn't stop giggling at the thought of Nicky's face when she had realized her mistake. "What did Lorna say about this?"

"As you can imagine, she wasn't impressed." Alex grinned. "But thanks to that we have a full supply for pretty good wine for you, kid." Alex took a sip. "And when the doctor allows you to drink the real thing, I'll take to the best wine bar in the hood." She grinned.

They didn't stay up for much longer. First of all, Piper needed her rest and secondly, Alex also could use some decent sleep. They were enjoying each other's company but they both knew that if the next day was to be successful, they needed to rest.

After making sure that Piper had everything she needed, Alex was finally able to get to bed too... Or rather a sofa. She didn't mind it, though. The piece of furniture turned out to be actually very comfortable and when the brunette turned all the lights out... She couldn't be happier. She lied her head down on a soft pillow and was out to the world in a nanosecond.


	9. Chapter 9

\- 9 -

It was a beautiful morning in LA. The sun was shining bright and warm despite the early hour and there was not a single cloud in the sky. Soft rays of light were seeping through the slits of the blinds in the living room but they didn't seem to be bothering the sleeping beauty on the sofa. Alex was still completely oblivious to the world surrounding her. She was also oblivious to the eyes observing her with keen interest.

Piper was leaning on the frame of the bedroom door, clad only in her Wonder Woman pajamas (Laura's idea...), her arm nestled comfortably on the sling. She had just woken up herself and after a few minutes of lying in the luxurious big bed, she decided to get up and prepare some breakfast for her two girls. _Well, at least one of them is truly mine._ She mused to herself, completely unaware that she was actually wrong. Even though Alex hadn't been able to admit that even to herself, she was Piper's no matter how hard she tried to fight it.

Now she was still enjoying her well-deserved slumber, her tired mind finally at ease, judging by her peaceful features. Piper stood there staring at the brunette for a while. She simply couldn't take her eyes away from her friend and there weren't many occasions to observe the singer without any interruptions or the fear of being caught. Because Piper didn't want Alex to notice that she was looking at her maybe a little too often for it to be completely innocent. Yet, there were moments when the blonde just couldn't help herself. She had always found Alex's looks so... enticing. Her pitch black long hair, her fair skin without even a single imperfection... And that extremely frustrating at times... yet so alluring smirk. Now it was gone from Alex's face. She looked perfectly calm, deep breaths making her chest go up and down slowly. Piper smiled to herself, a warm feeling nestling somewhere in her own chest.

"Mommy... I want some water." She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard her daughter's tiny voice behind her back. She hoped that Laura didn't think she was acting weird standing there and just staring at the sleeping brunette.

She shook herself off of her haze and went to the kitchen area to grab a glass of water for the child. When she turned around from the fridge, she noticed Laura playing with Alex's cell phone.

"Don't you know you're not supposed to use somebody else's phone without their consent?" She asked the girl sternly. She wasn't sure whether Alex would like Laura to use her phone without her knowledge.

"I'm just turning her alarm clock off." Laura simply stated as she gently returned the phone to the coffee table, being extra careful not to make any sound in case it woke Alex up. "She always sets it at 7 to go for a swim downstairs before she has to take me to school. It's almost 7 now." Laura looked up at Piper, a little happy smile on her lips. "Today's Saturday, so no school. I was sure she would forget about that. She's funny like that sometimes." The girl chuckled as she walked up to Piper to get her glass of water. She drunk it greedily. "Thanks."

The little girl grinned and Piper just had to grin right back at her. It warmed her heart to see Laura grow so fond of Alex so fast. They did seem to have a special connection and at times it scared the blonde to death. What if something went awry again between her and Alex? This time such a thing would affect not only her but her daughter as well. She didn't want that to happen so she promised herself to try really _really_ hard not to fuck it up this time around.

"Know what?" She leaned forward to whisper to her daughter. "You have one good hand, I have the second... Are two hands enough to make some tasty breakfast?" She smiled at the girl. "It doesn't look as if you want to go back to bed now, am I right?" Laura just shook her head 'no'. "So let's make Al some pancakes."

"Yes!" Laura exclaimed happily and immediately whipped her head around to check whether she didn't wake the singer up by accidentally loud voice but the brunette still looked dead to the world.

They went to the kitchen area to start their preparations. When Piper took a better look into the fridge, she luckily found all the ingredients that they would need... and some. She was surprised to see that now Alex seemed to be really serious about what she ate. There were only organic products, lots of veggies and healthy snacks... And at the back of the fridge there were two slices of leftover pizza which made the blonde grin. _Okay, so Alex isn't a total healthy-psycho yet._

When Laura noticed Piper's eyes fixed on the pizza, she chuckled. "We should probably get rid of that already. It's been there since pizza-movie Thursday night."

"Pizza-movie Thursday night? Is that a thing?" Piper smiled down at her daughter as she followed the girl's advice and threw the slightly oldish food into the dumpster.

"Yep. We now have officially the tradition of pizza-movie Thursdays."

"It can't be a tradition yet, Laura. You've been here less than two weeks so there couldn't have been more than just two pizza-movie Thursdays." Piper found the whole idea actually quite lovely but she didn't think that they would manage to make it into 'the real thing'. One day, probably quite soon, she and Laura would move out of this suite and Alex wouldn't be able to be with them every damn Thursday. She needed to make Laura aware of that. It was all nice but that was it.

"There is going be the third next week." Laura stated without looking at Piper. She was too busy trying to whip the eggs without making too much of a mess out of it.

"Alex might be busy, you know." Piper didn't want to ruin her daughter's excitement about the whole film thing, but she didn't want the girl to force Alex into spending every free second with her. She was aware that the brunette had to have some life on her own. She wasn't just their guardian all the time after all. She had other friends, people to meet, and so on...

"Yes, she is going to be busy watching the movie with us." Laura stressed, getting a little irritated by her mother's silly questioning. "She promised to fix us a copy of 'The Wizard of Oz' from 1939 with Judy Garland." Laura grinned proud of herself to having remembered all the cool details about the movie that Alex had told her. Such detailed knowledge definitely made a great impression on her mother and it made her feel even more smug.

And upon hearing all that, Piper truly was impressed. It seemed that Alex and Laura had it all planned out after all. At least for now... She would have to back off and simply see how it would all play out.

"So what did you watch last time?"

"'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'. Did you know that Howard Shore composed the music for that film?" Laura kept talking excitedly and it made Piper laugh out quite loudly. She had no idea her daughter would know such names.

"And how do you know about Howard Shore?" She quizzed her daughter, honestly surprised at the girl's knowledge.

"He's the guy who made music for 'Superman'!" Laura was obviously happy to know that too.

"And how do you know all of that?" Piper's jaw was somewhere on the floor really. Just two weeks with Alex and she had managed to turn her daughter into a total geek... Cute. It was probably the woman's talent in telling amazingly interesting stories. Alex had a way of talking about things in such a way sometimes that even vacuuming could sound like an adventure of a lifetime if she described it to you.

"Ally and Judy told me. She was here last Thursday." Laura simply stated as if that was the most obvious thing in the world and hearing a new name picked Piper's interest. Who the heck was that Judy girl and why Alex hadn't told her about her?

"Who's Judy?" She asked acting indifferent but deep down inside she detected a very uneasy and not nice feeling forming slowly. _Stop it Piper..._

The girl looked up at her mother. "Ally's friend. She's a filmmaker and knows _everything_ about cinematic history. I think Alex will get that copy of 'The Wizard of Oz' from her, too." Laura thought for a moment as if she was trying to remember something. "Her name is Judy Forester or something like that... Ally later told me that you love her movies actually."

"Judy Forester?" Piper furrowed her eyebrows. "You mean Judy Foster?" She asked with a big surprise painting her features.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Judy Foster. I keep confusing that." Laura started to add flour into the eggs that were already whipped. She seemed completely unaware that she had met one of the best actresses and directors in damn US of A and it made Piper laugh. Alex had never mentioned to her that she was friends with the woman. "She came here with her wife, her name is also Alex by the way, and a _dog_." Laura's chatter continued for a while but the blonde didn't pay much attention to what her daughter was saying. She was too busy contemplating how little she actually knew about 'her' Alex now. Of course, she _knew_ knew the signer well... She just didn't know about such little facts from her life now. It made her realize that she would love to know more, so much more about her friend.

"Mommy?" Her train of thoughts was interrupted by Laura's gentle question and a shake of her hand in front of Piper's eyes.

She looked down at her daughter. "What is it?" And when noticed the expression on the girl's face, she immediately knew what would be her next question. "A _dog_ is not an option, Laura." She said quickly before the girl even managed to open her mouth.

"Why not?" Laura asked incredulously and Piper chuckled to herself at how easy it was to figure her daughter out sometimes. The girl had been asking for a dog for years now and she would use every occasion she could to show Piper that she still was serious about having a pet.

"Honey, there are _million_ reasons why there's no way you could have a dog right now." Piper stated calmly. In the meantime she was turning the pancakes on the frying pan. Having only one good hand to use was proving the whole process rather difficult but she was managing somehow. _They don't have to be fucking perfect rounds._ Piper shivered at the last memory of preparing this dish. Larry would always make sure that she knew how displeased he was if something wasn't done _perfectly_. That requirement was applied even to god-damn food.

Her hand started to shake slightly and she had to fight hard to control her own body. Suddenly, she wasn't hungry anymore, her stomach was a tied knot and she could feel a cold drop of sweat running down her spine, making her a little dizzy. She was scared... and confused because there was nothing to be scared of now. She felt as if she had been frozen in time for a second. Her arms felt so heavy that she wasn't sure whether she would be able to move them if she tried.

Laura looked up at Piper. She was taken aback by her mother's sudden quietness and when she noticed how pale Piper's face was, her concern only grew tenfold.

"Mommy? Are you okay?" She asked with extreme worry in her voice. Luckily, it was enough for Piper snap out of it. She felt sick but fought hard to stay calm.

"I'm fine, hon." She she forced a smile onto her face when she looked at the child and put the last of the pancakes onto a plate. She looked at the clock and realized that it was barely after 8 in the morning. Much too early to wake Alex up. Good. Because that would give her some extra time to compose herself, stop the goddamn shivering.

"What's that delicious smell?"

Yet, it seemed that she would have to do that pretty fast after all. Piper turned around to face a very sleepy looking Alex, her hair was still a little mess and she was rubbing her eyes with one hand while the other arm was stretching over her head, making her t-shirt rise up a bit to show a glimpse of her flat stomach. It was obvious that not only her arms were nicely toned.

"We've made you pancakes!" Laura squealed happily. She liked long lazy mornings and this one was slowly turning into one. She was pretty sure that Alex wouldn't ask her to change into some decent clothes before eating breakfast. When they had lived with Larry, they would always have to dress up to sit by the table and Laura hated that. Alex was way more relaxed about such things. Even too much sometimes but the little girl loved that. The easiness, quietness and natural chill atmosphere.

And she was right about that. Alex sat on the barstool by the kitchen counter next to Laura, still wearing her pajamas. The brunette ruffled Laura's hair and the girl swatted her hand away in mock-annoyance, making Alex chuckle. She looked up at the the other blond creature who was sitting now in front of her. Piper seemed a little more pale than the day before but she was smiling, so the brunette decided not to ask about it just yet. Maybe it was just her imagination and nothing was wrong after all.

When the singer took the first big bite of her food, she couldn't help a satisfied moan escaping her mouth and it made Laura giggle excitedly. "Do you like it?" The little girl asked with expectation.

"Do I like it? This is scrumptious!" Alex laughed and winked at the girl as she took another big bite. "And this one looks like Texas." She pointed bluntly to the piece laying on Laura's plate, making her giggle even more. Piper felt the tension slowly leaving her body. It was replaced by a gentle warmth nestling deep in her chest upon seeing the two people in front of her. Yeah, there was nothing to be afraid of now. Her smile grew bigger and the glint of worry that she had noticed in Alex's eyes before was gone now when they held each other's gaze a while longer this time.

"We added oat bran." Laura stated proudly, making the two women shake out of their little eye-lock and look at the child.

"We did? Why?" Piper raised her eyebrows. She hadn't been watching too carefully at what her daughter was mixing together. Laura knew how to make good pancakes so the blonde didn't feel the need to supervise her so closely.

"Fiber." Both Laura and Alex said at the same time, pointing their forks at the blonde and it was now Piper's turn to laugh. These two were getting just too cute. She loved to observe how they acted around each other. It was clear that her daughter simply adored the brunette.

"Okay, you nutrition freaks... So what's the agenda for today?" The blonde smiled at her two companions who were now busy munching on their breakfast.

Alex took a sip of her coffee and moaned again at the pleasurable sensations that it evoked in her taste buds. Somehow, the coffee made Piper's style was the best in the whole wide world. The singer didn't know how that was even possible and how Piper managed to get that effect each and every time... And honestly? She didn't care. She was just happy to be able to enjoy the dark liquid again. "This coffee should be illegal. It's just too good." She grinned at the blonde, who threw her a shy smile in return. "I thought that we could just have a super lazy day, you know... No specific plan. Just resting and enjoying each other's company." Alex continued before she managed to make Piper uncomfortable by her silly comments. "I also thought that we might go to the park, the one right down the street. We wouldn't want this wonderful weather to go to waste, right?" She smiled at Laura.

"Parks are kinda boring when you can't ride a bike, you know." The girl announced and Piper threw her a glare.

Yet, the girl's comment only made Alex chuckle. "They're not that boring if there are playgrounds and a children's open theater in them, _you know._ " She shot back at Laura and the way the girl's eyes went a little wider made the brunette laugh. Yep, the 'park idea' was kinda sold. She was glad about that because Laura was not the only person who could use some fresh air. Alex knew that Piper enjoyed such sunshine weather very much and after spending so much time in the hospital, she would definitely enjoy that even more that day. Besides, she didn't really look that well that morning... Yes, some fresh air did seem like a perfect idea.

"Go brush your teeth and get dressed." The brunette smiled when she noticed a light shadow of a huff in Laura's behavior when she heard the request. "Oh c'mon, don't throw that funny attitude at me, you know it won't work." She chuckled.

Piper chuckled as well at how wide her daughter's eyes got. She thought she had Alex under her toe and here we go... a surprise. That was a lovely sight. "Al's right, hon. Let's not waste time. I'll help you with your homework so you'll have the rest of the weekend free." She smiled at her child.

Laura contemplated for a moment whether there was any use at opposing her mother and it seemed that she came to the conclusion that no, there was no use. She knew perfectly well that her mother was right. "Okaaaaay..." Yet, she made sure that her acceptance of her fate was not a happy one. After that she hopped off the barstool and went to the bedroom to get changed.

"God, sometimes she gets so melodramatic." Piper laughed when her daughter had left the kitchen.

"Wonder where she got that from..." Alex chuckled as she looked straight at Piper, one of her eyebrows raised. Her eyes showed that she was rather amused by the whole situation.

"Oh, fuck off, Al." Piper laughed. She got up as well and was now cleaning the kitchen counter.

Alex gently grabbed her wrist when she tired to pick her own plate up. "You haven't eaten anything." The brunette observed and she felt Piper's forearm tense.

"You know how it is when you're cooking. You grab stuff here and there, makes you feel full." Piper tried to play it down but one look at Alex and she was sure that the singer wasn't buying any of her bullshit that easily. "Don't worry, okay? I'll eat something later." She smiled at her in hope that would placate her friend and thankfully Alex released her arm without further questions. Piper was relieved. She didn't feel like explaining to the brunette how she really felt. Besides, there was nothing really to talk about. She just wasn't hungry. That's all.

XxXxX

Alex had promised them a relaxing lazy day and she had kept her word to the fullest. After Piper had helped Laura with her homework, which thankfully wasn't that big, they went to the nearest park which turned out to be far more fun than the little girl had anticipated. There were numerous playgrounds full of children and Piper was happy that her daughter had an occasion to meet someone new. Even though running around with her forearm in a cast wasn't that easy, Laura managed to enjoy herself thoroughly and by the time they were ready to grab some lunch in one of the local brasseries, she got a little tired and sleepy so when they finally got back home the girl went straight for a nap.

"Aren't you letting your eyes rest a bit, too?" Alex asked Piper when the blonde returned from the bedroom after tucking Laura in. The brunette was happy to see her friend looking much better now. The nice shade of pink returned to her cheeks and she didn't look so sick as she had that morning. Obviously, the fresh air had done her some good. She even seemed to have her appetite back since she ate definitely more for lunch than she had had for breakfast.

Piper sat down on the sofa next to Alex and put her head on the backrest. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a long breath before looking back at the brunette. "Surprisingly, I'm not really sleepy."

"So what's that face?" The singer asked when she saw Piper furrow her eyebrows a little in some sort of discomfort or pain.

"My spine has been killing me since lunch time." The blonde tried to stretch her aching back a little. "It's utterly annoying. I wish I could take a nice _long_ hot bath." She added dreamily.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Alex asked with concern. "We could've come back here earlier." She maneuvered Piper gently in such a way that the blonde was now laying on the sofa with her head on Alex's lap. "C'mon, stretch those muscles, grandma." She chuckled and started to run her fingers in Piper's long hair delicately, making her friend relax some more. Piper looked up at her with a soft smile on her pink lips and Alex had to fight an urge to just kiss her right there. She clenched her jaw and threw her companion a small smile instead.

"I was having too much fun, I guess." The blonde chuckled to herself. "Besides, those muffins were mouth-watering. I just _had_ to taste the cherry one too." That confession made Alex laugh, which caused her stomach to shake a little... shaking Piper's head along with it. "Hey! Stop that." The younger woman was laughing now too.

"Sorry." Alex chuckled some more. "I can go grab some tomorrow morning so we can have sweet breakfast." She grinned down at the blonde. "With your wonderful coffee, of course."

"What about your healthy lifestyle?" Piper couldn't stop herself from mocking the brunette a bit. "Since when you're so picky when it comes to food?"

"I don't know... I've just started going to the gym a lot at some point and before I knew it I was counting the carbo and fiber and so on..." She smiled. "I'm not so crazy about it anymore, obviously... But oh well."

"Yeah... Pizza-movie Thursdays, right?"

"For example." Alex grinned some more. "So Laura told you, huh?"

"Yep."

"I hope that's okay with you?" Suddenly, she felt as if she overstepped some boundaries, especially now when she saw Piper's kinda serious face. Alex wasn't Laura's mother after all. She shouldn't be planning any extra activities for the girl really. That had been just a spontaneous idea after the first time she and Laura had so much fun watching some old kids' movie. The girl had so many questions afterwards so Alex just thought that it would be pretty cool to show her some more of the masterpieces of cinema, those appropriate for children of course. Now, she wasn't so sure whether that was such a good idea after all. She might have gotten ahead of herself when she had decided not to ask Piper for her permission.

"It's a really nice idea, Al. But you know how kids are. If you tell them you'll be there every Thursday, they think it really is going to be _every_ Thursday, you know..." Piper looked up at her, uncertainty showing in her eyes. She didn't really know how to explain it well to Alex without making it sound as if she was mad at her. Because she really wasn't. She didn't want the brunette to think that she didn't want her to spend her time with Laura... She just wanted to point out that she should be a little bit more careful about making promises that would be difficult to keep. "You'll be very busy soon so you won't be able to come over to our place, when we finally find one, every damn Thursday, Al. Am I right?"

Alex furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation. "Fuck..." She whispered. "I didn't really think it through, did I?" She asked, obviously angry at herself.

Piper took one of the brunette's hands and circled her thumb over her knuckles. "No. No, you didn't, I guess. But don't worry so much about it, okay? I'll explain it to her."

"No. I should explain it to her. I made that mess so I'll fix it." Alex seemed determined at that decision so Piper didn't argue with her. In fact, she was pleasantly surprised that the brunette was willing to talk to Laura herself. It was quite typical for Larry to cause some havoc and expect Piper to make amends. This was a nice change.

The brunette smiled down at her again. "Stop me if you see me getting ahead of myself again, will you? I don't really know much about raising kids, obviously." She stated before she was able to register what she was really saying. _Fuck, raising kids? The hell? Bravo, Vause, you fucking idiot..._ "I mean... looking after them from time to time." _Really? Jesus..._

"Okay." Piper had to fight hard in order not to laugh. It was an exceptionally rare view to see Alex so flustered... and she enjoyed it immensely. She tried not to think too much about actually raising Laura together with Alex. It wasn't like that and it wasn't really possible, was it?

They were both startled when Alex's phone started to ring loudly. Alex actually thanked all the gods for interrupting that somewhat awkward moment. She took out her phone and smiled when she looked at the screen.

"Hey you!" She said cheerly into the receiver. "How's it going?" A moment of silence with a few laughs from Alex. "That's cool." She grinned and continued to listen to whoever was at the other end. "You know if you stress, I won't impress." An actual giggle. _Fuck it..._ Piper gently lifted herself up to stand up and go check on Laura. She wanted to give Alex some space and she also didn't really want to listen to that conversation. But the brunette kept her arm firmly around Piper's upper abdomen, making her lie back down before she even managed to sit up on the sofa. "Stay." She whispered to her before turning her attention back to the phone conversation. Piper had no choice if she didn't want to look like some fussy bitch. _Why am I even feeling that way? It's downright stupid._ She was trying to stop this weird anger from bubbling over. She also tried to tune out the conversation flowing around her. "Sure. See you then." Click. Phone call over.

Alex looked down at Piper and grinned and the blonde prayed to all the deities that she was able to hide her resentment well enough for the singer not to notice it.

"I guess one more pizza-movie Thursday is still happening." The brunette seemed excited at the prospect. "I promised Laura to try to get a copy of some movie and I've just got the confirmation that I'll get it."

"You mean 'The Wizard of Oz'?"

Alex's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "How do you..." A grin. "She told you, am I right?"

"Yep." Piper smiled at her. "She was really excited about it, too. She also mentioned that Judy Foster is great at cinematic history, as she put it." She smiled some more. "How come you never told me you knew her?"

"I guess... I just forgot." Alex chuckled. "And now you'll know her too because she's coming over on Thursday again."

Piper's eyes grew wide. "You're shitting me..."

"I shit you now, kid." Alex laughed. "She's really nice. I think you'll like her. I'm kinda working for her at the moment and she's coming over to check out some songs I should have ready for her."

"Soundtrack to her movie?" Piper couldn't hide her curiosity.

"Yep."

"Wow." The blonde grinned. "What is it about?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, you nosey you." And that comment made Piper pout a bit... which in turn made Alex laugh more than just a bit.

"So are the songs ready? Can I listen to them?" She tried again, this time from a different angle.

"Nope."

"They're not ready?" The blonde's eyes grew big again. "But Thursday is... Like... Soon..."

Alex laughed. "Yeah, I know. Some of the pieces are ready. They're just instrumentals. Piano mostly. But the lead song... ugh... I don't know. I had no idea so far."

"That's why you told her 'if you stress, I won't impress'?" Piper giggled loudly.

"Jesus... Now when you say it, it sounds soooo cheesy... Did I really say that to her?" The brunette chuckled. "I'm getting old with my lines, I swear."

"You're lines are just fine." The blonde ginned. "Maybe except that one." She laughed.

"Shut up." Alex punched Piper's arm jokingly and then released a groan. "Jesus, I really should come up with something. I guess there's a long night awaiting me. A bottle of real wine would help too." She chuckled.

"Don't worry so much, Al. You always compose best when you're relaxed." Piper whispered as she continued to draw little circles over Alex's knuckles. Somehow she didn't let go of her hand through the whole conversation. And that gesture was relaxing indeed.

"Hence the wine." The brunette chuckled with her eyes closed and head leaning over the backrest. Her head shot up again in surprise when he heard her cell going off again. "Jesus... What am I today? Some sort of call center?" Her phone had rung several times when they were in the park and during lunch. Her features softened visibly when she saw who was calling this time and Piper was a little intrigued.

"Hi, Andy." Alex picked up with a smile on her face and Piper tried to get up again... And yet again the brunette didn't let her. Partly it was because she didn't feel like she had anything to hide from the blonde... And party because having Piper so close to her felt just wonderful and she wasn't willing to let that go just yet. Thankfully, the younger woman didn't argue with her and continued to lay idly, although she stopped holding her her hand when she had realized what she was doing absent-mindedly.

The brunette listened patiently for a moment without saying much but she continued to smile so she must have been happy to talk to the other woman. She chuckled on several occasions, too. "I'll have to ask Piper. Give me a minute." She finally stated but before she could cover the speaker, which was pretty loud, the blonde heard some easy laughter and...

" _Oh my God, Alex. She's got you whipped so fast. I should take lessons on women from her."_ Piper heard some more rich laugher before Alex covered the phone with her hand abruptly and the gesture made Piper laugh along.

"Stop grinning, Chapman." She punched her arm mockingly again, attempting at a joke, but she was flustered again and Piper loved that version of the brunette. Alex cleared her throat a bit. "So... Is it okay for you to stay home alone for a couple of hours on Monday?" Piper giggled. "I'm asking because of your health and health only." Alex narrowed her eyes.

"I'll be fine, Al. Don't worry." She smiled a little and she hoped that Alex wasn't able to detect the sadness in that smile. Piper was aware that the brunette had her own life to live and she wasn't about to stop her from doing just that. It would be unfair. And it seemed that the singer still had a strong connection to Andrea. The girls from the band had told her that Alex was no longer with the model but who knew? Maybe they were just working on it? Life can get complicated sometimes. Piper knew that best.

"Okay, fine. I'll be there." Alex said rather cheerfully and ended the call. She took a long breath and then smiled down at the blonde ready to say something but before she manage to utter a single word, her phone started ringing again, making both women let out a frustrated laugh. "Damn." Alex whispered before answering the phone. This time she didn't even bother to check who was calling.

"You're very sought-after around here." Piper chuckled at her and Alex just stuck out her tongue at her.

"Hi, Sarah, what's up." She spoke to the receiver before going quiet for a moment. She was listening to the woman on the other end. In the meantime she casted her eyes at Piper several times and opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask her something but stopped herself. Then, she finally huffed and decided to actually talk to the blonde. "Just a moment." She said to Sarah before turning her head again to Piper. "OK. If you laugh I swear I'll kick your ass." And that statement alone made Piper giggle. "Are you okay to stay alone here with Laura for an hour or two now? Sarah's asking me if I want to join her in the gym downstairs. She's in the area so..." She stopped herself from any further rattling just in time to hear Piper's laughter. "You're an asshole, you know that." She grinned at the blonde.

"Just go, work out those nice muscles of yours." Piper smiled up at her.

"Nice that you noticed." The brunette shot back at her and that made the woman in her lap shut up abruptly. Alex grinned some more and turned her attention back to the phone conversation.

XxXxX

Alex entered the suite with a huge smile on her face. It had been a while since she had worked out with Sarah and she loved spending time with her trainer and a friend in one persona. She felt really alive and upbeat. Obviously the endorphins in her system were still going strong and she loved the feeling.

"Hi there, my two little beauties!" She welcomed her two guests with a cheerful voice as she started to unlace her sport shoes. She needed to get rid of them and let her tired feet rest a bit. She still had to take a shower. She was quite reluctant to use public changing rooms etc. and did that only if she really had no other options. It had already happened once that some idiot sold her photos to one of the trashy newspapers. Thank god, she wasn't completely undressed in them, but she wasn't willing to take that risk again. Not that she was shy of her body, hell no... She just valued her privacy.

Piper was lying on the chaise longue, a book in her hand. Laura had a similar position on the sofa and she was also busy reading one of the books that Alex had bought her. She was quite an avid reader, just like her mother.

"Hi, Ally!" The little girl dropped her book on the coffee table and jumped up to meet the brunette... Yet, she stopped herself from hugging the singer and scrunched her face in slight disgust. "Jeez... You should take a shower." She giggled while pinching her own nose.

"Laura!" Piper's stern voice made both Alex and Laura laugh out.

"It's okay, Pipes. She's right. I stink." The brunette grinned. She dropped her small backpack on the floor next to her shoes. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"Nope. We thought we would wait for you." The blonde stated as she carefully lifted herself from the chaise longue. "Go, freshen up and I'll prepare something for us. I guess you've got enough food in your fridge to mix us some nice salad."

"I don't wanna a salad." Laura whined and Piper threw her a glare, making the girl go quiet before she managed to piss her mother off. She could be picky but she also knew that making Piper angry was not good... Not good at all.

Alex chuckled at the exchange. "That's okay. We can order something from the restaurant downstairs. They'll bring it here. No worries." She went to the kitchen to grab the menus. "Here." She gave each of them one. "Pick something for me, too. Call the number printed at the bottom. They'll just put it on my tab." She stated quickly and was off to grab that shower she really needed desperately. Besides, she didn't want to give Piper the chance to protest. If she had been honest, she also wasn't that much in the mood for a salad. She could easily high-five Laura on that.

XxXxX

Alex walked out of the bathroom to see Piper and Laura sitting on the sofa and watching some movie on the big-screen TV. The girl was already munching on her chicken and fries while giggling lightly at some funny scenes. Piper was just just sitting beside her, a soft smile adorning her pretty face as she stole glimpses at her happy daughter. The brunette could get used to that vision. She looked the two blondes again. Yep, definitely she could do just that.

"Hmmm... What do we have here?" Alex asked as she plopped down on the sofa between Laura and Piper, making the girl giggle at her unceremonious sitting down fashion.

"I've got chicken." Laura took a big bite. "Mmm... Love the chicken." She munched some more thus making the brunette laugh along with her.

"I couldn't force any vegetable into that kid today." Piper huffed.

Alex looked at the coffee table where hers and Piper's food was waiting for them. The blonde had ordered two different dishes and it made the singer smile a little. Back in the good old days, when they had been still together, they would always order different things just to try various stuff, often ending up just sharing whatever food they had had.

"I've ordered you a steak with side salad. I hope it's okay. Beef is healthy, right?" The blonde asked her. "I've got some shrimp pasta. If you prefer that..."

"The steak is perfect, Pipes. Thanks." She grinned at her and took her plate onto her lap.

They continued to eat and watch the movie for several minutes, breaking out in giggles at some funny moments. It was calm and relaxing and none of them could have been happier at that moment.

Alex leaned down to Laura slightly. "Tell you what... Trade my cucumber for a few of your fries? Pretty please?" She whispered into the girl's ear as if it was some kind of secret she didn't want Piper to know about. The child chuckled and agreed. She dropped a handful of fries onto Alex's plate and stole almost half of her veggies.

Piper observed the exchange and fought hard not to laugh. _Nice move, Vause._ She couldn't help a little chuckle that slipped past her lips and Alex just winked at her when she was sure that Laura wasn't looking.

"Wanna exchange a piece of steak for a few shrimps too?" The blonde whispered into Alex's ear after some time and the brunette couldn't help a huge grin from appearing on her face.

"Sure." She whispered back. God, it was so good to have somebody with her here. And not just somebody. Them exactly. Alex couldn't remember the last time she had felt so at ease and relaxed. "Bot Appetit." She smiled at the blonde.

When they finished their food and the movie, Piper got up to clean from the coffee table but Alex was faster, stating that it was her turn to do the dishes.

"You cooked, after all." She winked at Piper, making Lara giggle. "You could help, you know." She addressed the girl who was actually happy to do just that. She carried the empty dishes to the kitchen and helped Alex put everything into the dishwasher.

"How about a little game of chess." Laura asked when they were finished with their little cleaning.

"Lovely idea, my friend." Alex grinned at the girl. "It would be great to kick your little butt again."

"Wouldn't be so _sure_ , my friend." Laura grinned right back at her and it made Alex raise her eyebrow a bit.

"Someone's pretty _sure_ of themselves tonight." The singer chuckled. "Maybe a little bit _too sure_." She grinned some more but the girl seemed completely unfazed by Alex's comments as she turned around and headed for the bedroom to get the chess-board.

XxXxX

Piper couldn't help laughing out loud at seeing Alex's face. The brunette had been sitting by the kitchen counter for the last half an hour, trying to analyze her last moves, and she still wasn't able to comprehend what had just happened. Everything had been going well, right according to her plan... and then wham! Laura had finished her off in two smooth moves. _The fuck?_

"You shouldn't let her win that easily, Al. You don't have to pretend." Piper chuckled and Alex just threw her a frustrated glare.

"I _didn't_ let her win." She whined. "How the fuck did that happen?" She scratched her head as she continued to stare at the chess-board. She let herself use a little harsher word because Laura was nowhere around. Piper had hushed her away to bed since it was almost 10 pm now. And she did go to bed without complaining this time but she had rubbed her victory into Alex's face before going, of course.

"Well... I guess my kid is getting smarter by the day." Piper chuckled but when she turned around to look at the brunette, she felt a little sorry for her. Alex had never really been a sore looser but loosing to a 7-year-old had taken its toll obviously. Without thinking, rather out of reflex, she hugged the brunette from her back. "C'mon, don't be such a grumpy. You'll get back at her tomorrow." She smiled over her shoulder.

Feeling Piper's arm sneaking around her abdomen made Alex tense up for a second, but that was just a second before she allowed herself to relax in the blonde's embrace. She just hadn't expected it, that's all. She leaned her head back on Piper's shoulder and chuckled. It felt so good to be so near her. The brunette suspected that was just a friendly gesture, provided out of pity for her sorry looser's ass, but that didn't mean she couldn't simply enjoy it for a while. "I need a drink."

"She really did get you, huh?" Piper laughed when she stepped back to grab a bottle of wine from the fridge and Alex immediately felt the loss of her warmth but didn't say anything about it.

She turned around to face the blonde who was now pouring her a glass of white. She did the same for herself, but her glass was of course filled with the alcohol-free version of the beverage. "To my daughter's victory." Piper clicked her glass to Alex's, making the brunette grin finally.

"To Laura." She agreed and took a sip. She enjoyed the picture before her, Piper clad just in her pajamas, her hair still a little damp from the shower that she had taken, and a big goofy smile on her face. Her bruises had been healing really well and now one had to look hard to notice anything being wrong... Well, maybe except for the cast on her arm. Even her lips were back to their normal _so_ _kissable_ state. _Whoah... Slow down your horses..._ Alex forced herself to stop staring at the blonde's mouth.

"I think I should practice the piano a bit. Those songs for Judy are still pretty new to me and I'll probably have to record them in the studio soon so..." The brunette stated as she hopped off the barstool. She needed to busy her mind with something else than just staring at the blonde in front of her. That could be a bit dangerous...

"Can I listen?" Piper asked with a little bit of shyness painting her voice and Alex knew immediately that she wouldn't be able to say 'no' to her.

 _Here goes my fucking escape plan..._

"Sure." She smiled at Piper. "Just don't be disappointed. I really still need to practice those pieces." Alex warned her before leading her along the corridor to her little heaven where all of her instruments were.

When they approached the heavy looking door Piper couldn't help a laugh escaping her lips.

'THE COOL ROOM' – a big paper was stuck to it with her daughter's still a bit shaky handwriting and cute drawings of several guitars and something that looked like the drums.

"Yeah, well... She insisted." Alex shrug hear shoulders with a smile upon seeing Piper's risen eyebrow.

When they entered a rather big room, almost as big as the bedroom, the blonde was in awe. It was the first time that Piper had been in it. There were two different types of electric guitars, a bass guitar, a small set of electric drums, two computer screens with a lot of funny looking devices around them... and a beautiful old piano. And upon seeing that last instrument, Piper's throat was suddenly tightened with emotions.

"You still have it." She whispered, feeling her eyes brim with tears and she wasn't sure she liked that sudden wave of emotions at all. She put her hand onto the instrument and patted it fondly as if it had been a good friend.

Alex observed her with keen interest. She knew Piper would remember the piano, of course, but she was surprised to see the blonde's reaction. She didn't think the instrument to be so important to her. She smiled warmly at her friend. "I will always have it. It's kinda a part of me, you know." She casted her eyes at the instrument. She put her glass of wine next to Piper's hand and sat down, her fingers already lingering on the keyboard. She started to play some song which was completely new to the blonde so she assumed it had to be one of the pieces composed for Judy's movie.

Piper looked around for a place to sit down and when she saw a very comfortable looking big foldable TV armchair she just had to laugh. "Let me guess. Nicky?" She pointed at the piece of furniture and arched her eyebrow. Alex laughed along and nodded her head as her fingers moved smoothly over they keys without missing a beat. She might have said that she still needed to practice but more and more Piper thought that that was bullshit. The brunette seemed perfectly prepared for the recordings. She wasn't even looking at her hands.

Piper sat down and adjusted the armchair in such a way that now she was able to half lie in it. Glass of fake-wine, as she called it, in her hand, she felt completely at peace. No, scratch that. She was in damn heaven. Comfortable, warm, surrounded by beautiful music provided by one and only Alex Vause. The last time she had found herself in such circumstances was more than eight years ago. She and Alex had been in the Vause household. Alex had been practicing for the exam at her music school and Piper had been there just to show her support. Besides, she had always enjoyed listening to Alex play any type of instrument.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Alex had been practicing for the last two hours, stopping here and there just to huff at her own mistakes, only to resume soon after to make her performance perfect. Piper would look up from her book from time to time and each time she did that, a small smile appeared on her face. The brunette would look up from her notes too, as if she could feel Piper's gaze on herself, and she would grin like a madman... Which often resulted in faltering of her fingers and she would loose her pace yet again._

" _Fuck it." She whispered under her breath after the tenth time that happened and stood up from her old but very well loved piano. "Come'ere." She laughed at the blonde when she reached out for her feet to pull her nearer._

" _Al, baby, I'm reading." Piper squealed but the fact that somehow she had already managed to put the book away meant that her mind wasn't that much into the literature after all._

" _Mmm... I can read you like an open book." The brunette whispered right into her ear as she dragged her fingers across Piper's bare abdomen, slowly pulling her t-shirt up._

" _Oh yeah?" The blonde challenged. "You're so sure of yourself." She mocked as she tried to keep a straight face and hide the fact that yes, Alex could read her like an open book indeed, so she also must have known what her skilled hands were doing to her. "Aren't you supposed to be practicing that piece?" She asked after a while, when Alex's hands reached the front of her bra._

" _Oh, believe me, kid. I'm about to practice my fingers in the best way possible." Alex smirked before kissing her neck tenderly. She was always so full of care and raw emotion when she made love to Piper and the blonde had never felt so cherished before. Right when the brunette was about to move her lips southward, they heard loud knocking on the door._

" _I really do hope that me not hearing the piano means you're looking for your notes, Alexandra Pearl Vause. Your exam is tomorrow. Get your mind out of the gutter." They heard Diane's voice through the door and Piper burst out laughing upon seeing Alex's pretty pissed off face._

 _ **End of Flashback**_

"What's so funny?" Alex's voice made Piper come back from her rather pleasant daydream.

"What?" The blonde opened her eyes, the smile still lingering on her lips. God, how she wished she could turn back the time and make different decisions about her life...

"You're grinning like a madman. What's that all about?" The singer asked again without faltering her playing.

Piper wondered whether she should say the truth. That would probably be pretty awkward but she had to say something so she decided to be a little more vague. "Remember when you were forced to practice Billy Joel's songs over and over again?" She grinned.

"You mean something like this?" Alex asked, a grin on her own face now as well. She started to play 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel and she did that with so much more confidence that Piper could remember from their young years. God, she was perfect at it.

"Yeah." The blonde giggled. "But now you're much better at it."

"I'm much better at a lot of things nowadays." Alex wiggled her eyebrows and Piper felt her cheeks flush furiously with warmth. _Jesus fucking Christ..._

"Yeah, I bet." The blonde managed to choke out and Alex simply laughed.

"I like where you're mind is going." She grinned again that toothy grin that Piper loved so much. _Damn her._ It was kind of clear that wine made Alex much more less reserved. "But I rather meant this." She stated still smiling as she turned to a different song by Billy Joel. This time it was 'Just the Way You Are' and Piper's heart soared. She adored that song.

"I just love that piece." Piper stated as she closed her eyes and relaxed some more on the armchair.

"I know." Alex smiled. She just continued to play that song over and over again... Yet, her eyes remained on the blonde. She didn't need to look at her own hands. She knew the song by heart. She had played it a million times to herself.

After some time, she noticed that Piper's breathing had become deeper and more even. The blonde had fallen asleep and Alex smiled to herself upon noticing that. And then an idea flickered at the back of her mind. She took a paper and a pen and started scribbling down the words that just wouldn't stop flowing. Damn, it felt good to finally get it. Judy would be happy when she came to visit on Thursday.


	10. Chapter 10

\- 10 -

Piper woke up with a start and it took her a longer while to realize that she was safe and in a comfortable bed full of soft pillows. She didn't remember what her dream was about but she knew it must have been something horrid. Her body was still shaking slightly and there was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead.

She reached out her trembling hand to where Laura should have been but all that she encountered with her fingertips was an empty pillow. It was cool to the touch, indicating that it had been a while since the girl had got up.

The blonde rubbed her face in hope to brush away the last foggy reminiscence of the disturbing dream. She wondered what time it could be. The sun was shining brightly outside. That was one of the reasons she loved California. The weather. You could always count on it here. Piper smiled to herself lazily, stretched her back with one hand over her head and was in the middle of a nice yawn when she realized a tiny little detail... _Why the hell am I in bed? I thought I fell asleep in the 'cool room'._ She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to remember how she landed in the bedroom but no matter how hard she forced her brain to work, it was still completely blank. She blinked several times in confusion. _Did she carry me here?_

She heard a loud giggle of her daughter followed by Alex husky chuckling. The brunette was saying something to the little girl but Piper was unable to hear the words clearly. It must have been something funny since Laura laughed again... and then Alex screamed and Laura squealed and Piper heard fast footsteps. Someone was running fast into the bedroom's direction.

"No, no, no, no... Not there..." Alex laughed but it was too late and the door to the bedroom suddenly flew open and Laura jumped onto the bed with loud giggles.

"What on earth is going on?" Piper asked as she sat up in bed, a full grin adorning her face at seeing her child so happy and carefree.

Alex run into the bedroom just seconds after Laura. She had a paper cup full of water in one hand and a table cloth in the other. She was also smiling from ear to ear and Piper had to admit that that toothy grin was one of the best things she could witness as the first thing in the morning.

"You little sly dog... You think you're safe on your mommy's bed, huh?" Alex growled and took a step towards the bed which resulted in loud squeals coming from Laura. The girl moved closer to her mother and laughed with a little hint of fear. Her eyes were shining with amusement and mischief.

Piper laughed out when she noticed that the front of Alex's white t-shirt is completely soaked, making it slightly transparent and revealing the brunette's dark bra hiding underneath. She had to admit that it was quite a sight for sore eyes... Yet, she didn't dare her eyes to linger on that part of the brunette's body. If Alex had caught her staring, it would have been extremely awkward... to say the least.

"Hey, you two... What's this all about?" The blonde laughed when Alex made another attempt at getting nearer to the bed, pretending to be aiming the paper cup at Laura, making the girl shout at the top of her lungs before she started giggling excitedly again.

"She wants to pour cold water at me." The girl said, her tone accusative as she glared at Alex, yet a wide grin didn't leave her face even for a second.

"Care to explain to your mother why am I going to pour cold water at you?" The brunette asked unfazed as she put one of her hand on her hip and shot Laura a glare even more intense.

"That's not fair! You _dared_ me, Alex." Laura giggled.

"Because I thought you wouldn't dare, you little ass."

At hearing that both Piper and Laura burst out laughing again. "Well... There's a lot you need to learn about my daughter then..." The blonde stated matter-of-factly. "Al, let it go..."

"No." The brunette simply announced.

"Mommy..." Laura squealed right into Piper's ear as she tried to hide behind her.

"Oh, for Christ sake, Alex!" The blonde glared at the singer. "Cut it out! How old are you?"

Alex started to laugh and took a sip of the water. "Tell you what..." She pointed at the little girl. "If you get cleaned up and dressed right now, I'll forgive you." She grinned.

Laura got off the bed, her eyes never leaving Alex as if she was expecting the brunette to pounce at her at any second. "Okay... You promised, you can't splash that on me..." She walked slowly to the dresser to get her clothes, her eyes following Alex's every move.

"I did not promise you anything, pumpkin. I made you a deal. You've got 10 minutes to fulfill your part." The brunette chuckled and her statement made Laura speed up her moves. The next thing they knew she was locked in the bathroom (just to make sure that Alex wouldn't follow her).

The brunette extended the hand that was holding the paper cup towards Piper. "Wanna a sip? Fresh cold water." She smiled when Piper actually accepted the beverage. She was quite thirsty after the night so was glad to accept the offer.

As Piper was drinking, Alex plopped down on the other side of the bed. She lied down and stretched her muscles, a long purr leaving her soft lips. "Jeez, it's so good." She smiled to herself, her eyes still closed.

"What's so good?" Piper smiled as she observed her friend's face. She wouldn't dare to allow her eyes wander any lower... Although, it was painfully tempting.

 _This day is good. You being here is good. Laura being here is good. Life is good when you're here._

"Not having to do anything." Alex chose to say instead. When she heard Piper giggle lightly, she knew she made a good decision not to turn this conversation into something heavy.

They just continued to lie on the bed next to each other. There really was no hurry in the world so they could simply enjoy the quietness. Long minutes had passed and Piper thought for a moment that Alex had fallen asleep. Her eyes were still closed and her chest was going up and down as the brunette took deep long breaths (yes, Piper couldn't help a glance or two...). That's why she was a bit startled when she heard Alex's husky chuckle, which evoked a pleasant warmth spreading within Piper's own chest.

"What is it?" The blonde asked after several more amused sounds coming from the woman next to her.

"That daughter of yours has got some guts, I must admit." Alex looked up at Piper, her green eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, well... You've learned your first hard lesson, I guess." Piper smiled at her. "Can I ask you something?" She asked tentatively and the brunette just nodded. "Don't laugh, okay?" That made Alex smirk. "How the hell did I get here?"

"What do you mean?" The signer couldn't hide the mirth in her voice.

"I mean... I remember us being in your little studio... Did you carry me here?" The blonde chuckled.

"Yeah... You were so out that for a second I feared that I had confused our wine bottles." Alex laughed as she maneuvered her body to lie down on her belly now, her upper torso propped on her elbows. The position made Alex's t-shirt cling to her body even more but she didn't seem to notice that at all.

 _Jesus fucking Christ... Piper do not stare. Don't you dare..._

"What time is it?" Piper cleared her throat and slowly moved to get out of bed. She felt that she had enough of laying down for the day... and she also desperately tried to get herself out of that sort of uncomfortable situation.

The brunette still seemed to be completely oblivious to the condition that her clothes were in. "It's almost 11 o'clock. Why?"

Piper's eyes grew big upon hearing how late it really was. She knew she must have slept in but she didn't expect that she had been sleeping _that_ long. The whole morning was almost gone and she was still lazing around in her pajamas. That was so not like her...

"Oh man... Why didn't you guys wake me up?" She asked as she walked to the drawer to get some shorts and a t-shirt for herself. She rummaged some more in search for one more thing and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How many sport bras you said you got me?" She asked the brunette as continued to move her clothes around.

"I thought you could use some good sleep. You looked so peaceful..." Alex sopped herself before she said anything more. _Great, Vause. Just go ahead and tell her you were watching her sleep. How fucking creepy can you get?_ She cleared her throat and then she remembered that the blonde had actually asked her two questions. "Five... Why?"

Piper stood there for a while and it looked as if she had been counting something in her head. "Fuck." She finally whispered. She had run out of fresh sport bras and she loved them because they were not only comfortable, which was a major advantage right now, but they also had no clasps, which made it easier for Piper to put them on. With one of her arms still in cast it was virtually impossible for her to put on any other type of bra without anyone's help. _Fucking fuck._

"Let me guess... We need to order the laundry service." Alex chuckled.

"Yep. Definitely." Piper started looking for some other bra that she would be able to put on. Once upon a time she was able to unclasp a bra single-handed. She smirked to herself. Maybe she'll be able to clasp one too if she tried hard enough... She finally found a nice comfortable-looking piece... in the color of fuchsia... She couldn't help laughing out loud. She showed it to Alex. "Really?" She chuckled.

The brunette lifted her eyes from her phone when she heard Piper's question. She stared at the blonde for a second or two. And when she registered what the woman in front of her had in her hand... Was there a tiny ghost of a blush appearing at her normally alabaster skin?

"What?" Alex quirked her eyebrow. "It's a nice bra." She regained her typical carefree posture pretty quickly but Piper was sure she did see the brunette squirm a little.

"Okay... It's a nice bra." The blonde smirked a little before turning to the bathroom's door. "Laura, speed it up, babe." She said loudly to the girl.

Alex looked at Piper for a moment before she realized why the blonde had been so desperate to find some sport bra. "Do you need some help with that?" She asked gently as she pointed to the outrageously pink bra.

"No, I'm good."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

The door opened swiftly and here she was, all dressed up and ready to face the upcoming day. Laura threw Alex a wary glare but when she noticed that the paper cup was now standing empty on the bedside table she seemed to relax.

"Don't you try anything funny." The girl pointed her finger at Alex. Obviously, she had decided that a little warning was still a good idea.

The gesture made the brunette laugh. "Chill. I come in peace, child."

"Good." Laura was still glaring at her but her lips were formed into a cute little smile.

"C'mon, let's finish that game of Uno." Alex got up form the bed and took a look at herself. "But first I need a dry t-shirt." She smirked.

XxXxX

They were playing the third round of the game when Alex looked at her watch. It had been over twenty minutes since they had left Piper alone to get ready for the day and the brunette started to worry a bit. Maybe she should go and check on her?

"Your turn." She heard Laura's voice and she snapped from her thoughts. She put another card on the table and tried to focus her mind on the game.

Another few minutes had gone by when she heard Piper's voice calling her from the bedroom so she dropped her cards on the table and ruffled Laura's hair a bit as she jumped up to her feet. "Turn the TV on and watch some cartoon for a moment, okay?" The girl simply nodded and started looking for the remote.

When Alex walked up to the the bedroom door, she found them closed so she knocked lightly before entering. She didn't want to startle her friend. "Hey, Pipes... Can I come in?"

"Yeah, it's open." She heard from the other side so she pushed down on the handle and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Piper was standing with her back to Alex, dressed only in her shorts. She had the bra on as well but it was pretty obvious that she hadn't managed to clasp it after all. What drew Alex's sight more than the unhooked piece of garment was a slowly fading but still clearly visible big purple bruise on Piper's lower back. _Is that a fucking footprint?_ Alex's blood boiled in her veins and she clenched her jaw so hard it was pure miracle that her teeth didn't break.

"Could you please help me a bit here?" Piper's tentative question made Alex lift her gaze to meet the blonde's eyes. Being in such a state of undress was definitely making her extremely uncomfortable and Alex could see that immediately. The blonde was trying to cover her body best she could without dropping the damn bra to the floor. She looked so small and fragile, still a long way before she would finally gain enough weight to stop looking almost anorexic. Alex felt a sudden urge to just walk up to her and hug her, shield her from everything and make it all okay again. But she knew she couldn't.

She walked up to the woman in front of her and smiled warmly at her. She took the clasp of the bra and fixed it for Piper, thanking all the gods up there that her hands weren't shaking (she sure was trembling inside like crazy).

"There you go." She smiled again.

"Thanks." Piper smiled back at her, a furious blush adorning her cheeks.

" _Fuchsia_ looks good on you." She chuckled to lighten the mood a bit but the blonde's face just turned more crimson and Alex wanted to kick herself hard in the ass for that. She didn't mean to make her even more uncomfortable. _Goddamn moron..._ She put her hands into her pockets to stop them from trembling. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, thanks." Piper answered sheepishly as she maneuvered to put her loose t-shirt on as fast as she could so Alex turned to leave before she managed to say anything even more stupid and make her even more uneasy. "Wait." She heard Piper's voice when she was almost out of the door so she turned back around to face her. "I'm sorry." The blonde stated.

"For what?" Alex smiled at her.

"For being weird, I guess." She dropped her eyes. "I just get... _weird_ sometimes." She tried to smile at Alex but it was clear that it wasn't easy for her. Where was that wonderful woman who had used to be so sure of herself? _Fucking Larry._ Alex had to fight hard again to push all the anger away. It wasn't the right time nor place to let that awful feeling bubble up to the surface.

The brunette took a few steps back into the bedroom. "There's no need to apologize." She smiled again. "Everyone's... well... _weird_ sometimes." She chuckled and rolled her eyes and this time she was glad to hear Piper laugh along a little.

"Yeah well... Sometimes I just get weirder."

"Is that a challenge, kid?" Alex's eyebrow shot to her hairline and a big grin enlightened her face. This made the blonde laugh some more and Alex could swear there wasn't a better sound in the whole wide world.

They heard Laura shouting to Alex to get back to the living room because she wanted to finish the last round of the Uno game.

"Just a second!" The singer shouted right back and then turned around to face Piper again, a soft smile on her face.

"What is it?" The blonde asked when she saw Alex hesitating for a moment.

The brunette looked straight into Piper's blue eyes. A slight nervousness could be heard in her voice and it made the younger woman furrow her eyebrows a bit but she didn't have the time to ask any further questions... and what Alex said next simply left her speechless.

"Don't get it... the _weird_ way but..." She chuckled nervously as she dropped her eyes to the floor for a second. When she looked up at her again, Piper shivered upon the intensity of those green orbs. "You have no idea how utterly beautiful you are, Pipes. The most astonishing creature I've ever met." She smiled at her again and it wasn't any of her infuriating smirks. It was honest, open and tender and it made Piper's throat go dry while her eyes suddenly felt moist.

" _Aaaalllyyyyy..._ The cartoon's over. Get back here." Laura's loud shouting from the living room brought them both back to the reality. Alex started to laugh and the moment was gone. Piper chuckled with her, still feeling... well... weird.

"I should go before your lovely daughter throws a tantrum at me." The brunette winked and turned to leave but she stopped right before closing the door behind her. "I really meant it." She smiled before leaving Piper alone with her thoughts.

XxXxX

Nicky: [How much do you charge for renting your kid for a day?]

Alex: [Laura's not my kid.]

Nicky: [Could've fooled me...]

Alex chuckled under her nose and it made Piper lift her head from her book, her eyebrow quirked in amusement but she didn't say anything. She observed the brunette for a moment before going back to reading her book.

Alex: [Fuck you, Nichols.]

Nicky: [Nah, thanks. Lorna's got it covered.]

Alex: [Perv.]

Nicky: [Normal human being.]

Alex laughed quietly again and shook her head at her friend's words. Piper looked up again from her book and this time her curiosity got the better of her.

"What's so funny?" She asked as she put her book down onto the coffee table.

"Nicky's up to something. She wants to 'rent' Laura." The brunette made the inverted commas. "I'm not sure we can trust her." She chuckled.

"Just give her a call and ask what this is all about." Piper smiled.

And Alex did just that. As it turned out, Nicky and Lorna had got invited to Lorna's goddaughter's birthday party so they thought that it would be cool to take Laura with them since most of the children would be around Laura's age. There would be a lot of kids, nice food and games for all the little guests. Besides... Lorna insisted that going to a kids' party without a kid was kind of well... uncool.

After a little bit more of persuading, begging... and a pinch of threatening from Nicky, Piper finally caved in and allowed Laura to go with them. When the girl found out that she would go to a kids party, she was beside herself with excitement. She adored Nicky and Lorna and the idea of spending a whole afternoon and part of the evening with them, made her feel extremely happy. Upon seeing her smiling face, Piper convinced herself that letting her go was actually a good thing.

But now they had another problem to deal with. Laura insisted that she needed to buy a present for the girl who invited her to the party. Piper had been feeling rather tired the whole day, her spine was bugging her way more than on Saturday so she wasn't really up to a day of long walking. Besides, she didn't really like shopping that much so... She let Alex take Laura shopping by herself. She just had to promise not to go too crazy about the present... and not to buy any more toys for Laura. Somehow that condition saddened both the brunette and the little girl, thus it only ensured Piper that they had had some secret plan to bring yet another board game home...

"Maybe we could go down to the restaurant when I get back? Get some nice dinner." Alex smiled while she was putting her shoes on. Laura was already waiting for her by the door, sheer excitement making her jumping a little up and down. Right after their visit to a toy store, the brunette would drop Laura off at Nicky's place. Later she and Lorna would bring her home.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Piper beamed. She didn't feel like being overly active that day (her back was really killing her...) but going out for an hour or so to grab something to eat sounded like a nice plan.

"I'll call you when I'm on my way. You can go down and get us a table, I'll meet you there." Alex stated as she grabbed her purse and car keys from the cabinet next to the door. "I shouldn't be long." She smiled again before walking out of the door.

XxXxX

Piper continued to read her book for a while but soon she decided to give it a rest since her eyes were getting more tired by the minute and she didn't want to look like a zombie when she went down to meet Alex. She decided to freshen up a bit and change her clothes into something more decent for a fashionable restaurant. Not that she had so many clothes but anything could be better than a plain oversized t-shirt and comfy shorts. She opened the drawer that the singer had had installed in her bedroom and looked through her selection of outfits.

"T-shirt... another t-shirt... sweatshirt... Jeez, Al... How practical do you have to be?" She huffed a little bit to herself when she realized that most of the things that Alex had bought for her were nice and sweet and and of high quality and comfy... and plain... _Yeah, except some pieces of sexy lingerie._ Piper felt a smirk forming on her face. She pondered for a moment of what to do. She really would love to put on something _nice_.

She looked to her right and was extremely tempted to take a look into Alex's wardrobe. Would that be too intrusive? She hesitated for another minute before her curiosity got the best of her. She opened the door and turned on the light inside. The room was much smaller than she had expected... and it was perfectly well-ordered. That surprised the blonde because ever since she could remember Alex hadn't cared where she put her stuff. Here, everything had its own perfect place. The clothes were even ordered by colors and when Piper realized that she couldn't help the chuckle leaving her lips. _Not that it's so hard for her... Most of the things are black anyways._ She laughed some more and looked around. There were leather pants that Piper knew Alex adored. _Wonder why she doesn't wear them more often._ And then she laughed when she remembered that it was California so... The heat wouldn't make those pants comfortable... Nope, definitely not. There were tons of t-shirts and shirts, jeans and jackets... And then, her eyes landed on the only truly colorful part of the whole wardrobe. Piper walked up to the clothes hanging on the rack. _Ahhh... The dresses._ She smiled to herself... Yet her smile turned into a frown when she realized that they were the clothes that Alex must have worn to some galas and shows. One of them she even remembered form the Oscar night she had watched all those years ago with Polly. _She looked so beautiful in this._ Her eyes suddenly became more moist at the memory of that evening.

Piper cleared her throat and decided to move on in her search for something _nice_ to wear. And thankfully, just a second later, she finally found what she had been looking for. At the back of the rack there it was. A nice, simple beige summer dress with a cute pattern of tiny flowers.

"Perfect." The blonde grinned to herself. "I hope it fits." She looked down at herself with furrowed eyebrows. She was aware that she was kind of... _slim._ But the dress looked as if it could fit and Piper decided she could try it on.

And when she did just that, she liked what she saw in the mirror. It was probably a bit longer than the designer had intended but Piper actually liked that. Made her feel more comfortable.

"I just hope she doesn't mind." She whispered to herself when she took another look at herself. "Maybe I should call her?" She wondered aloud... But then, she decided that it would be funny to see the brunette's reaction. _Would she even notice I've borrowed this?_ She smirked to herself.

After finally choosing her outfit, she went to the bathroom and borrowed also some of Alex's make-up. She wanted to feel a little pampered up. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Her make-up was light, just a bit of lip gloss and mascara. Nothing more, but it was enough to make her feel better about herself.

She heard her phone's loud ringing. She had left it on the bed so she quickly walked to the bedroom to get it.

"Hey you..." She smiled when she answered the phone, she was slightly out of breath from the mini-jog.

Alex chuckled, surprised at the sound of Piper's voice. "Hey yourself." A little pause. "I should be there in ten so if you're still up to that dinner, you can start getting ready to go downstairs. I'll meet you at the restaurant, okay?"

Piper grinned so much that she felt her cheeks hurt. "Okay." She whispered into the receiver and hoped that she didn't sound too excited.

She was about to leave the suite and head to the restaurant when she realized that the trainers she had worn for the last couple of days wouldn't go well with her/Alex's dress.

"Fuck." She whispered under her breath and was slowly getting more and more pissed when she remembered that she had those cute flip-flops that Alex had bought her the other day when they were coming back from the park (the brunette had insisted that they looked just too wonderful on Piper's feet to give them a pass).

Finally satisfied with her outfit, Piper stepped out of the suite. She didn't understand why she felt a little nervous. _It's not like it's a date or anything._ She chuckled to herself at the ridiculousness of that thought. She walked a few steps to the elevator, a smile still lingering on her lips, and pushed the button on the side of the big silver sliding door.

The smile adorning her face was gone the moment the door finally opened. Because there he was, standing in a manner that made him look tense... and pissed off... And the way his shoulders swayed when he stepped out the elevator made Piper realize that he was a little more than just tipsy.

"Larry." She whispered under her breath, a sheer panic rising upon seeing her soon to be ex-husband.

XxXxX

Alex parked her car and went to the back door to get the bags from Toys'R'Us. She was almost by the elevator door when she realized that Piper wouldn't be too happy to see those exact bags so... She hesitated for a second. She could use the fact that the blonde was in the restaurant and quickly drop the bags in her suite... But that would make Piper wait even longer for her (she was awfully late due to a terrible traffic right outside the hotel).

Upon pondering for another while, she finally decided to drop the bags back in the trunk of her car. She would find another way to get them to the suite without Piper noticing. She smirked to herself when she pushed the elevator button once again and waited... and waited... and waited... _Fuck, I'm already so late. Speed up you little bitch..._ She thought as she patted her thigh nervously.

She calmed down a bit only when she finally saw the entrance to the restaurant. She smiled to herself upon a single thought about the blonde who was probably now waiting for her at their table.

"Hi, Julie." She smiled at a young brunette by the entrance. She knew her quite well by now. Before Piper's situation, Alex had often visited the hotel's restaurant so she was well accustomed with most of the workers here. "My friend should be waiting for me here." Her smile only grew bigger when she thought about Piper. "Check for Vause or..." Alex furrowed her eyebrows. "...or Chapman."

The woman in front of her checked the books laying on her desk and the longer time it took her to find the table number, the more anxious Alex became.

"You can check also Bloom." She added after the waitress couldn't find the first two names Alex gave her.

"I'm sorry, Ms Vause... But maybe she hasn't arrived yet." The brunette seemed confused as well.

"Maybe she was here but has already left? Can you check that?" Alex tried again. She was late by 20 minutes, there was no way Piper hadn't come to the restaurant yet.

"Once again... I'm sorry, but we don't have any of these names in our system today." The girl looked at her apologetically. "Maybe she just hasn't arrived yet and you need to wait a bit. I can show you to your table." The brunette smiled.

"No, thanks." Alex smiled back at the girl who just tried to be nice, that's all.

The singer walked a few steps into the direction of the main elevators to get back to her suite but as she was waiting for the elevator to arrive, she pulled out her phone and tried to call Piper on her mobile. When the blonde didn't answer, Alex's concern grew tenfold. _The fuck is going on?_ She felt a cold shiver run down her spine, which didn't make the matters any better.

Finally, the elevator was there and Alex pushed the number of her floor several times as she couldn't conceal her nerves anymore. She was eager to get back to her place and check if everything was alright. Maybe Piper was just getting ready and she simply had lost the track of time... That particular thing had happened several times all those years before.

"God, please, let her just be putting her make-up on right now..." She whispered under her breath.

On the seventh floor the elevator stopped for a while and Alex thought she would scream. Her agitation had just reached sky limit. Yet, she smiled politely at the man who entered the small space to travel with her up. She knew him quite well. Mr. Jefferson was the head of security at the hotel and Alex had had quite a few conversations with him in the past. He was in his late fifties but the brunette thought he was in great shape and looked quite intimidating if he had to.

"Hello, Ms. Vause." He greeted her with a wide smile.

"Mr. Jefferson, how are you?" Alex asked out of politeness. She liked him a lot but now her mind was too preoccupied with other worries.

The tall man standing next to her seemed to have noticed that something was bothering the singer that afternoon. "Is everything alright?" His eyebrows furrowed when he looked at her face which seemed to be way paler than usually.

"Yeah." The brunette smiled at him. She didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble. "How is Emma doing?" Alex chose to shift the focus from her to Mr. Jefferson's daughter. The fact was was that the brunette had found out about the young woman's health problems a while ago. The treatment of those was highly expensive and totally out of reach for most people so Alex had decided to found it and after some arguing from Mr. Jefferson, the matter had been finally settled.

The man's features brightened up upon hearing the question. "Oh, she's just great." His big smile reached his eyes. "She's been doing very well recently. Thank you."

"I'm really happy to hear that." Alex smiled at him. She took a fast look at what floor the man was going to. _Higher than mine... Damn... Love the small talk._ She normally enjoyed the small conversations she had with the hotel staff but at that moment her mind just wasn't into that. She was too worried about her friend.

Thankfully, the rest of the elevator ride was rather quiet. It seemed that Mr. Jefferson felt that Alex wasn't really in the mood for talking so he didn't insist on keeping the conversation alive and in her mind, the brunette thank the man.

Finally, a fairly quiet sound announced that they were at Alex's floor and the brunette stepped out of the elevator. The moment she turned her head to the right, she was stopped in her tracks, her hands turned into fists.

Piper was leaning on the wall right next to the door to their suite. The blonde's phone was lying on the floor few feet away from her and it appeared to be broken. _That's why she wasn't answering._ Larry was holding her by her shoulders, making it difficult for her to move anywhere, his face close to her right ear. He was saying something in a quiet voice so Alex was unable to hear that but judging by Piper's face expression, it wasn't anything good. The blonde's features were scrunched in hight discomfort. She obviously didn't like the fact that Larry was way closer than her comfort zone.

Before Alex could realize what she was really doing, she was already running down the corridor at full speed, her hands clenched in fists, pure fury painting her features. She saw red the moment she noticed that Larry's right hand was not empty. He was holding a small jack-knife so close to Piper's arm that one tiny move would have been enough to puncture the blonde's skin.

The brunette run into Larry's side with full impact, which thankfully was strong enough to send him flying to the floor with a loud thud and a shout of anger and bewilderment. It was the element of surprise that did the trick. Alex dropped to the floor with him but she was much better prepared to take the next action. Before Larry realized what happened, the brunette kicked the jack-knife out of his hand. She actually managed to hit the man's wrist with full force and the sound it made didn't augur anything good.

"What the fuck?" Larry groaned in pain as he gripped his wrist, his eyes squeezed hard in obvious anguish.

Alex was about to kick him again but was stopped by a strong arm on her shoulder. When she turned around she saw the face of Mr. Jefferson who must have heard the commotion and decided to check on it instead going up in the elevator. Now he was standing right next to the brunette, pure confusion painting his serious features.

"What on earth is going on in here?" He asked and even though he tried hard not to show his agitation, he failed miserably. Through his whole career he never had to break a fight in that hotel.

Alex took a deep breath before answering. Her eyes were not leaving Larry even for a second. She didn't trust him one bit and the fact that now he was lying on the floor squirming with pain didn't change that. "Mr. Jefferson, I want you to make sure that this scumbag here doesn't move an inch and call the police. My friend's got a restraining order against him."

Mr. Jefferson's eyebrows shot to his hairline but he didn't ask any further questions and just dialed 911 on his phone.

"Please, don't." Larry pleaded. He was now sitting by the wall, still holding his wrist which now was slowly turning purple and getting more swollen by the second. Mr. Jefferson walked to the jack-knife and picked it up with his hand dressed in a rubber glove.

"Oh man... That was exceptionally stupid." The man said after he put it in a plastic bag with an intention of passing it to the cops later.

Suddenly, Larry leaped to his fit and tried to run into the direction of emergency staircase. Thankfully, that was the exact moment when two of the security officers stepped out of the elevator and he basically ran into them. They caught him immediately and brought him back to where Mr. Jefferson was standing. "You're not going anywhere, pal." The tall well-muscled guard announced, his hands gripping Larry's arm, making sure he wouldn't budge again.

Alex ignored all of that. The first thing she did after telling Mr. Jefferson what to do was tentatively walk up to Piper and delicately put both of her hands on her cheeks, trying to make her look up from Larry and focus on her own green eyes but the blonde seemed frozen. "Pipes." She whispered full of worry. "Are you alright?" She felt the blonde nodding her head slightly. Her eyes were dry but her face was white as a sheet, her eyes big with fear. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?" Another barely detectable nod. "Baby, look at me." Alex pleaded with worry in her voice and only that finally made Piper focus her gaze on the brunette. Alex smiled gently at her. "You okay?"

"Yes." Piper whispered hoarsely but now she managed to utter a ghost of a smile on her own. She was glad Alex was there. The warmth radiating from her palms calmed her down. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Alex was there. They were okay.

When Larry noticed the somewhat intimate exchange between the two women, his anger sky-rocketed again. He tried to break free from the guard's strong hold but he didn't have enough strength to do so. "I knew it." She spitted with venom. "I _knew_ those divorce papers were her doing." He kept struggling with the two big guys who were holding his arms and preventing him from doing anything stupid. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Piper!" He shouted with frustration at the fact that he was unable to make a move.

The blonde flinched upon hearing his words and Alex hugged her close. "Shh... It's okay. Don't listen to him." She whispered reassuringly into her ear.

"You're fucking her, huh?" He wouldn't give up, his anger rising. He ignored the guards' warnings. He couldn't touch her anymore but he sure wanted to hurt her with his obnoxious words. "You're a fucking whore."

And that was the limit that Alex could handle. Upon hearing his last words, she spun around and smashed her fist into Larry's face, hitting his nose well enough to make it bleed. Her move was so sudden and unexpected that before Mr. Jefferson registered what was happening and grabbed Alex by her arms to pull her away, the brunette managed to kick hard right into Larry's groin, sending him to his knees and kissing the floor again.

"Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit." She hissed through her teeth as the big guard dragged her away.

"Shhh... Now, Alex, calm down." It was the first time Mr. Jefferson had ever called her by her first name and she looked up at him in surprise. She had been practically begging him to call her by her first name but he had always refused that until now. She threw him a little smirk. "Wipe that smile out of your face." He chuckled at her. "Keep your fists to yourself now, okay?"

"Sure, no problem." She lifted her hands in surrender. "I'm good now." She smiled.

"She _hit_ me!" Larry squealed almost like a little girl.

"You hit yourself mister." Mr. Jefferson threw at him over his shoulder. "Things happen when you get drunk and harass you friend."

"She's my _wife_." He hissed angrily and glared at Piper, his eyes bloodshed.

"Not for long, obviously." The blonde stated. Her voice was cold, void of any feelings. She stared at him hard as she gripped Alex's hand even harder. She was trembling but fighting hard not to show it and the brunette wished she could just whisk her away from there to somewhere safe.

Thankfully, the police arrived within minutes. The detective leading Piper's case was among them which made the whole arrest even more smooth. After talking to all the people involved in the incident, the officers took Larry away and the detective assured both Piper and Alex that this time his ass would land in a jail cell for a long time. After what he had pulled this time, it was almost certain that the prosecutor would fight for an even higher sentence.

All through the questioning from the cops Alex hadn't left Piper's side even for a second. The blonde kept gripping the singer's hand as if her life depended on it. Just her pure presence was enough to make the blonde feel calmer and safer. Alex was there.

XxXxX

When they finally entered Alex's suite, their hands were still locked together. Instead of stopping in the living room area, Piper continued to walk slowly into the direction of the bedroom and the brunette's eyebrow furrowed in slight confusion but she didn't say anything. She followed her friend into the other room obediently. Piper released the singer's hand and sat down on the big bed. She looked exhausted. Her complexion was pale and her hands were still trembling from all of the emotions coursing through her body. She started to take off her shoes but those stupid flip-flops were persistent to stay on her feet and the blonde huffed in frustration.

"Let me." Alex said quietly as she dropped to her knees to help the blonde. She gently slid the shoes off and smiled up at her. "There." Her smile was warm and comforting. Piper put the palm on her hand on Alex's cheek but the second she realized what she had done, she took it away almost as if the brunette's skin had burned her fingertips.

"Sorry." She whispered sheepishly and looked away from those mesmerizing green eyes. She fumbled with her hands nervously, not really knowing what to do with them. Finally, she put them on the bed along her thighs before she turned herself crazy.

It was obvious to Alex that for some reason Piper felt uncomfortable but no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to find the reason for it. Had she done something to make the blonde feel that way?

"What is it?" She gave up guessing because her mind was totally blank.

Instead of answering her question, Piper slowly pulled herself up on the bed and lied down, stretching her healthy arm over her head to push the pillows away. She needed to get her spine to rest or she would go insane. The tense muscles of her back were not making her life easier, either. Alex just stood by the bed, letting Piper ignore her question altogether. She didn't want to cause her more distress. God knew she had had enough of that for a one day. She observed as the blonde took several deep breaths, her eyes closed.

"I'll let you rest." She smiled down at her when Piper finally decided to look at her and slowly turned to leave but before she managed to take even one step, she felt Piper's warm hand on her own and looked at her again, a little hint of confusion painting her features.

"Stay." Was all that the blonde whispered as she pulled Alex's hand, indicating that she wanted the brunette to join her on the bed.

And that's exactly what Alex did. After taking her own shoes off, she slowly lied down next to the blonde. She was now close to her but not within the touching distance. She didn't want to make Piper uneasy again and it seemed that somehow she had a special talent for that. Yet, after a few minutes, lying just like that in that awkward position started to get on Alex's nerves so when she felt Piper's warm hand on her own once again, she couldn't help an audible sight of relief.

The blonde shifted her position a bit and her head was now on a small pillow, making it easier for her to observe the singer. She lifted Alex's hand so she could have a better look at it. She delicately touched her knuckles, studying them intently, her eyebrows furrowed.

Seeing the surprise and then anger in Piper's eyes, made Alex look down at her own hand and the moment she saw her knuckles, she knew why her friend was not too happy about the look of it.

"Damn." Alex chuckled in amazement. The knuckles of her right hand were turning a light shade of blue. She must have hit Larry much harder than she had thought and the realization made feel... so much better. She would have gladly sell him one more punch or two if Mr. Jefferson hadn't stopped her. _It was so good to smash that fucker's face._ A brig toothy grin appeared on her face.

"My god, Al... Does it hurt?"

Alex moved her fingers a bit and yes indeed, they did hurt. Actually, the pain was much bigger than the bruise would indicate but of course she didn't say that out loud. She just continued to lie there and grin like a madman.

"I'm so sorry." This statement made Alex look up into Piper's eyes, this time it was the singer's turn to furrow her eyebrows.

"What are you talking about? Why would you be sorry?"

"I got you into this mess." The blonde said angrily, hot tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I've never wanted to put you into that position."

"Are you kidding me?" Alex chuckled. "Hitting that sorry face was delightful." She laughed so heartily that Piper couldn't help herself from smiling a bit. She turned to her side and snuggled a little bit closer to the brunette, still holding her hand with care. She had to fight an urge to kiss it. "You should try that sometime." Alex's chuckling continued and Piper was glad for the distraction from her own, a bit disturbing, thoughts.

They rested for another moment in comfortable silence.

"Pipes..." Alex whispered as she returned her eyes to Piper's baby blues. "Don't you ever apologize to me again, okay?" She put her finger onto the blonde's lips when she started to protest. "Shhh... I mean it." She smiled at her gently, yet her eyes were serious. "You've done nothing wrong and there's nowhere I'd rather be than right here in this mess with you."


	11. Chapter 11

\- 11 -

The hotel suite was quiet. The lights were dimmed. No background music that was usually coming from the high-tech stereo system. No TV sound. No one was talking. No noise of Laura playing with her Lego blocks in the corner of the living room. No rattling of plates or cutlery from the kitchen. Just pristine silence.

Alex was lying on the sofa with a book in her hand but she wasn't reading it. Instead of that she was simply staring at the ceiling, her eyes blinking from time to time. Normally, such silence was her safe heaven after long days in recording studios, days filled with interviews, promotion and shows. This used to be her escape. This wonderful silence. Except, now it felt empty. The lack of any sound made the brunette anxious. This wasn't natural anymore. What was normal now were Laura's squeals and Piper's giggling. The voices of cartoon characters coming from her TV set and the soft music of Sade played by Piper. Laura's grumbling over her homework and Piper's frustrated hiss when she was trying to force her daughter to study.

 _Soon there will only be silence again._

Alex's eyebrows furrowed. A sudden sadness with something close to panic engulfed her heart with surprising force, almost knocking the air out of her lungs.

She rubbed her face with a frustrated sigh.

 _For Christ sake, hold it together, Vause._

"Are you okay?" Piper's worried voice made the brunette drop her hands to her sides again and look up at her friend. Furrowed eyebrows, tense lips and cheeks a bit paler than a moment before. _Great. Act like a psycho, Vause. Scare the shit out of her._ "Is it your hand? Does it hurt?" The blonde walked around the sofa to kneel down next to it but before she managed to grab Alex's hand, the singer sat up and chuckled.

"Pipes, I'm perfectly fine." She patted the sofa next to her, inviting Piper to sit down next to her. "Stop worrying about me. How's Laura?" She smiled up at her.

Piper had insisted that they would go according to the original plan and let Nicky and Lorna bring the girl to the hotel suite. For a moment Alex had argued that maybe it would have been for the best if Piper had had a little moment to herself to cool off but then the blonde had said that she refused to let Larry dictate her life ever again... And that argument had won the fight.

Now Piper was sitting next to Alex on the sofa, obviously exhausted after the whole highly difficult day. She had just put Laura to bed and that's why the whole suite was quiet. It was almost 10 pm but the brunette herself didn't feel like sleeping at all. In fact, she felt weirdly agitated. Maybe the adrenaline from it all was still pumping in her veins. Either way, she knew that sleep wouldn't come that night easily.

Piper's voice once again made Alex return to the reality from the abyss of her mind. "Laura had a great time with Nicky and Lorna today. She couldn't stop talking about a huge pink unicorn stuffed with candy. I'm actually surprised she fell asleep so fast after consuming all that sugar." The blonde chuckled, her eyes sparkling like always when she talked about her daughter.

The soft expression on Piper's face evoked a smile on Alex's lips as well. She loved seeing her friend like that. Utterly happy about her kid. "But she hates pink. How come she liked the unicorn?" The singer couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.

"Well, I guess the candy did the trick." Piper laughed.

"Yeah, candy can do that. Each time." The brunette grinned. "Speaking of which... Wine?" She raised her eyebrow at Piper, making her giggle.

"Wine?"

"Yeah, candy for adults." Alex grinned again. "Well... Yours is the kid type, but you'll survive."

Piper huffed in frustration as she put her head on the sofa's back rest and closed her eyes. "Fuck, I would do anything for a glass of something stronger than that juice." She said in a whiny voice.

"Anything?" The singer laughed softly as she opened the fridge to get the bottles of wine. One for her and the other for her friend.

"Anything." Alex jumped when she heard Piper's voice right behind her own back. She spilled a little of red wine onto the kitchen counter and the blonde started to laugh. "Since when you're so jumpy?" She sniggered, satisfied that she was able to startle the brunette even just a bit.

"You know you can't drink any alcohol until your doctor officially allows you." Alex stared to say but she stopped in her tracks when she turned around to face Piper's eyes. Piper's big blue puppy eyes with begging pouting lips. The singer cleared her throat and gave the blonde her, alcohol-free, glass of wine. "Nope. Not gonna happen." She finally stated and passed her friend to get back to the comfy sofa. She laughed when she heard Piper's frustrated huff.

"But the visit is just on Tuesday. What difference can two days make?" The blonde plopped down next to Alex, her unhappiness still clearly evident in her voice.

"You don't know if he clears you to drink alcohol." Alex continued to pretend that she was completely oblivious to Piper's puppy eyes. She took up the book she had dropped before and started to scan her eyes through the text. "Besides you sound like an alcoholic." She finally chuckled when she felt the blonde smack her arm, a bit harder than she had expected. "Ouch." Alex looked Piper in the eye. "And it's still a 'no', babe." She laughed softly when she felt another hit from her friend. And then she saw Piper shifting her body in such a way that now her head was resting in Alex's lap. "What are you doing?" The brunette smiled down at her. She loved the new position but was surprised at it.

"Getting comfy, because you're going to read to me." Piper stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole wide world. "You have your _real_ wine to relax you. I have your voice." She made Alex move a bit so she could lay more comfortably while still being able to sip on her wine without spilling everything onto herself and the sofa. "Go on." She motioned with her hand.

So... What other choice did Alex have? She smiled to herself and tried to focus on the text of the book she was currently reading. Her voice was smooth like velvet to Piper's ears and the blonde couldn't hide a big grin. _Real_ Alex was better than the best wine in that goddamn city.

XxXxX

Monday morning was crazy... to say the least. It was simply frantic. Alex had forgotten to set her alarm clock and now she and Laura were running around the suite with the speed of light, trying to get ready as fast as they possibly could. Piper was trying to help them but at some point the brunette forced her to sit down on the still unmade sofa. She was just getting in their way.

The blonde was surprised at how well Alex had managed to braid Laura's hair in express time, feed her and grab all the things the girl needed for the day. The singer herself had just managed to throw some hoodie at herself and some random pants.

Black sunglasses, baseball cap, car keys. Last 'Love ya' from Laura and 'I'll grab breakfast, kid' from Alex. Thump of the door. Silence.

Piper laughed to herself. The suite was once again quiet but unlike Alex, Piper didn't feel anxiety creeping up her spine because of it. She lied down on the sofa and continued to chuckle. _I could get used to that._ She grinned. _Maybe with a little bit more slow motion._ She took a deep breath. The pillow still smelled like Alex and the blonde turned her head to the side to get a better sample of that beloved fragrance. A hint of perfume and Alex herself. _For Christ sake, hold it together, Chapman._ She closed her eyes and inhaled again.

Although she had still been married to Larry and her surname was still officially Bloom, Piper had thought of herself as a Chapman. Soon that would be true also on the paper and she smiled brightly upon thinking about that. She would be single again.

"And what now?" She asked herself as her eyebrows furrowed. "Well, only future holds the answer to that." She concluded finally. _Take a step at a time._

She smelled the pillow again. She tried to stop herself from being sentimental but some things were stronger than her. Her eyes were still a little heavy. She hadn't slept so well during the night. Laura was tossing and turning and sold her even a few kicks. Sleeping next to a small girl was never an easy task, even in that huge bed. Before she knew it, Piper drifted into a peaceful sleep.

 _The sun was shining like crazy even though it was still very early in the morning and it was just the beginning of June. Luckily, this time there was no wind on the beach and the ocean was peaceful as ever. Due to the early hour they were there almost completely alone, except for a few dog walkers, but they were far away from them._

 _The brunette was stretching her body on a big navy blue blanket. Her sweatshirt had ridden up her tummy and now Piper could see a narrow strip of her pale stomach. She felt her fingertips tingle, daring her to reach out her hand and touch that wonderfully soft and warm skin but she stopped herself._

 _Instead of that, she lied down on her side next to Alex, her blue eyes never leaving the so kissable lips of the woman before her. Just thinking what those lips were capable of doing, made a pleasant shiver run down Piper's spine. And then the brunette turned her head and looked her straight in her eye. Her green orbs were like magnets, holding her sight captive. The blonde couldn't look away even if she tried. And she didn't want to try._

 _Piper felt a warm palm stroking her cheek tenderly and she could swear right there and right then that that simple gesture was more than enough to make her whole being come to life. It made her crave life. That woman in front of her was her life. How could she have ever had any doubts about the brunette? _

_Alex was still staring straight at her, her eyebrows furrowed a bit as if she was worried about something and Piper knew what that something was. The moment she realized that, she wanted to wipe that concern out of the brunette's mind immediately. She wanted her to smile that toothy grin at her, see that tender glint in her eye._

" _I choose you." Piper whispered._

 _The moment she uttered those words, she was rewarded with that beloved pearly full smile and Piper thought her heart would burst with happiness. She felt million butterflies awaken in the pit of her stomach, forcing a giggle out of her._

" _I love you so much." She whispered once again to the brunette as she felt her stroke her cheek with that warm inviting palm of her hand._

" _Pipes..." The brunette whispered back._

" _What is it?" She asked as she put her own hand on Alex's and smiled at her._

" _Pipes..."_

 _Piper furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when Alex didn't answer to her question._

" _Pipes..."_

 _What the hell?_

"Pipes..." Alex shook gently the blonde's healthy arm. "Hey, kid, wake up..." She chuckled when she realized that her friend had fallen asleep when she was gone. The brunette was actually sorry to wake her up but she had no other choice. Even though she was still on holiday, this Monday was quite busy for her and she needed the blonde up. "Good dream?" She asked when she finally noticed Piper open her blues.

"What?" The blonde sat up a bit and brushed her eyes, her voice still full of sleep, making her sound confused... and adorable.

"You were smiling in your dream." Alex threw her that toothy grin and Piper thought she would fucking cry. Her throat was tight and she had to blink several times to keep the tears at bay. And of course the brunette noticed the distressed look immediately. "Is everything alright?" She asked full of worry now.

"Yeah, of course." The blonde finally managed to utter a strained laugh. "Why wouldn't it be?" She asked quickly as she sat up completely and dropped her legs to the floor, still rubbing her face a bit.

"I don't know... Just for a second you looked as if you were about to cry." Alex said softly and Piper forced herself to laugh at that statement.

"Yeah, well... I hate getting up so early." She finally said.

"I'm sorry to force you to your feet already. But, to make things better, I did bring nice breakfast." Alex grinned again as she showed her a big paper bag she was holding in her right hand. "And after I change your bandage, you'll be able to go straight back to bed again. I need to go out for a bit."

 _Andrea. Right._

Piper swallowed hard when Alex turned around to head to the kitchen. She was slowly taking the bagels out of the bag when she looked up at the blonde again. "I don't have to go, you know. I can stay." She said quickly when she noticed a rather pained look on Piper's face. She would have asked about her discomfort directly but she had learned already that the blonde got a little annoyed when Alex was becoming overprotective.

"No, no... I'm fine. You should go." Piper smiled and hoped that Alex would buy that fake grin. She didn't feel like explaining to the brunette that she felt like shit not because of her body but because of her soul. She wasn't ready to have that sort of conversation that day... or ever. It was too late for that and she knew that perfectly. "I'll probably go for a short walk later. Get a little fresh air and stretch my legs." She said nonchalantly as she stood up and started to fold the duvet as best as she could with her one hand.

"You sure you don't need me around?" Alex tried again.

 _I need you around all the time. You're my fucking air._

Piper's cheeks flushed at her own thoughts but more and more often it was becoming clear to the blonde that she wasn't able to deny her own feelings anymore. Especially not after that dream. Not after she felt her heart beating that fast, her stomach doing those somersaults, that wonderful feeling of utmost happiness evoked by just a stare of those green eyes into her own.

"Yep. Positive." She finally answered with a smile. "Go, enjoy your lunch." She added with fake mirth. What she truly felt was a bile rising in her throat and she was praying with all her might that she would just break out crying right now. _How the fuck would I explain that without making Alex have a heart attack?!_

"Okay." The brunette chuckled as she came back to where Piper was now standing by the sofa. She put the food onto the coffee table. "Breakfast is served, M'Lady." She bowed with a smile and a wink and turned around to leave.

"Aren't you eating?" Piper asked with concern. She knew that the first meal of the day had become a very important point in Alex's day so she was surprised to see the brunette skipping it.

"Nah, I'll grab something later. I need to jump into shower now." She smiled at Piper. "Enjoy."

"Thanks." The blonde answered even though she was sure that swallowing even a bit right now would be close to a miracle.

 _Fuck._

XxXxX

Hot water was cascading down Alex's body making her skin tingle and turn a bright shade of pink. The brunette had been standing motionless under the shower head for more than five minutes now, not bothered to really wash herself yet. She was trying to relax even though she wasn't sure why she was so nervous in the first place.

Yes, it had been a while since she and Andrea had had lunch together but the fact that the beautiful model invited her now didn't really mean anything, right? Up until this moment they would just hook up, sort of accidentally stumbling upon each other in various clubs located all over the country. This kind of unwritten rule between them was easy and _very_ satisfactory to both of them and Alex didn't want to change anything. But the fact was that the brunette had changed everything already because she stopped seeking contact with Andrea. She hadn't been partying hard on her last tour and even if she had gone out with her band mates, the one night stands had been out of the question. Those few times Alex and Andrea had ended up in the same club, the brunette had rather avoided the model. Yes, they had talked but nothing more. And all of that had been done by Alex sort of unconsciously. She just hadn't been in the mood for meaningless flings lately. At least that's how she was trying to explain it all to herself.

But Andrea didn't belong to the category of meaningless flings and yet the singer was unable to force herself to act normally around her. The harsh fact was that Alex didn't want to be with anyone anymore.

 _Except one little blonde... And you don't mean Andrea, Vause._

 _Fuck._

Alex wanted to get some balance back in her life. Just because Piper was around again didn't mean that the singer had to put everything on hold, right? It's not like they could ever be together again, right?

The brunette touched her forehead to the cool shower tiles and took a deep breath, trying to steady her heart which was now beating so fast in her chest that she thought it would explode. Her trembling hands didn't help either... It's been a while since she had felt this sort of anxiety.

Fuck it. She would go and grab that lunch and have a damn good time. Piper or no Piper around, she couldn't let her whole life be upside down just because of her. They were supposed to be friends and they would be but Alex had to gain some distance to it all.

 _Or I'll go fucking crazy._

Alex quickly finished her shower and went to her wardrobe to find something decent to wear. After a little bit of rummaging she decided to put on her favorite black leather pants and a black sleeveless top that allowed her to show off most of her tattoos. Perfect eyeliner. Bloody red lipstick. She looked into the mirror but instead of smiling she made a frustrated sigh.

 _Who the hell am I kidding..._

Yes, she did look good. But it wasn't Andrea she really wanted to impress.

 _You are fucking crazy already._

XxXxX

The strong wind felt wonderfully refreshing as it lashed at Alex's skin. Even though it was still pretty early, the sun was shining bright and it was clear that it would be another hot day in LA. The brunette made the engine of her motorcycle roar loud in her ears, making even some of the pedestrians turn their heads. The machine made her feel free and careless and that's exactly why she had chosen to take it for a right today. Besides, it was a perfect mode of transport in such a big city and she didn't want to be late for that lunch. Andrea was quite strict on punctuality and Alex respected that.

After just a few minute ride she parked her motorbike in front of a small restaurant. Alex knew that place very well since she and Andrea had met there several times when they were still a couple. It was a pleasant place with tasty food but what was more important – the owner of the restaurant was Andrea's good friend and that's why they definitely could count on much more privacy than in any other restaurant in LA.

She entered the bright lobby and smiled at the waitress who obviously recognized her since she immediately led Alex to a booth at the back of the room. Andrea had already been waiting there for her and she flashed the brunette a big grin when she finally saw her approaching.

"I hope I'm not late." Alex whispered into the blonde's ear as she hugged her tight.

"You're right on time." Andrea reassured her when they sat down on the opposite sides of their table. "Would you like some wine?" She asked as she mentioned for the waiters.

"Actually, no, thank you. I took the bike for a ride so I shouldn't be drinking any alcohol." _Besides, I have to grab Laura from school later..._ But she didn't say that second thought out loud, of course.

Andrea turned to the waitress with a polite smile. "Two glasses of water, then." She picked up the menu and started to study it.

Alex tried to do the same but her eyes kept wandering off to Andrea. The woman seemed a little tense despite the smile plastered to her face and after another few minutes of awkward silence the brunette couldn't take it anymore. The blonde's odd behavior started to get on her nerves, making her own heart rate pick up unstable rhythm and Alex didn't like that one bit.

"Okay, Andy. What's up? Just spill it." The brunette finally asked.

Andrea put the menu down on the table and looked to the side, avoiding Alex's sight for a moment. There was a little smile on her lips that she was obviously trying to fight off. She swallowed hard and turned to face the brunette.

"How do you know that anything is up? Hmm?"

"Oh c'mon... I know you." Alex smiled at her in hopes to put her companion at ease. There was no doubt that she was nervous about something and the longer Alex didn't know the reason for it, the more she herself became agitated.

Andrea chuckled. "Just a little bit." She showed with her fingers how little it really was and it was the brunette's turn to smile.

The waitress appeared out of nowhere with their water, making both of the women snap out of their bubble.

"Are you ready to place your order?" She asked with a pleasant, well practiced, voice.

"I'll have a shrimp salad." Andrea smiled up at her.

"And you, ma'am?"

"Same." Alex answered without sparing the girl even one look. She was too busy observing the woman in front of her. Something was definitely up and she was adamant to find out what it was.

"I asked to you see because I have a proposal for you." Andrea stated in her business voice before Alex managed to ask any of the questions that were floating in her mind. She raised one of her eyebrows in surprise.

"What kind of proposal?" _This is intriguing..._

"Work for me." Andrea simply said as she took a sip of her water.

Alex started to laugh. Andrea couldn't be serious. There's no way the two of them could work together. Yet, her laughter stopped when she realized that the blonde didn't join her in her mirth. "Okay... Let's say I could agree on that. What would I be doing?" She chuckled. Still not believing that Andrea truly meant what she had just said.

"We're starting a new collection and we're looking for models. Faces of the collection."

"I'm not a model, Andy."

"But you're a rock star, babe." The blonde grinned. "And that's who we're looking for. This whole collection is in this nice rockish vibe."

Alex started laughing again. "What is 'rockish vibe'?" She made the inverted commas as she continued to chuckle. This was really getting interesting.

"Please. Look in the mirror." This statement made Alex laugh yet again. "I'm serious." Andrea's voice was full of mirth now too. "We've already talked to some other artists but I really, really would like you to join us."

"Oh yeah? Who's already agreed?" Alex's curiosity got the best of her.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you yet."

"Oh... C'mon, Andy. It's not like I'll tell anyone, right?" The brunette threw her companion one of her best toothy smiles.

Andrea seemed to be thinking for a while. She obviously didn't want to give in that easily.

"It might change my mind, you know." Alex added.

"Okay... So let's clarify... What's your mind on it right now?" Andrea looked straight into Alex's green eyes and lifted her eyebrow, evoking exactly the same reaction from the brunette.

The singer continued to stare for a moment before voicing her thoughts. "For now it's a 'no'." She grinned when Andrea huffed, defeated. "But who knows... Some interesting people could persuade me." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"So now I'm not interesting enough?" Andrea asked with mock-offense. "Fuck you, Vause." She said chuckling and started to dig into her salad that had just been placed in front of her.

They ate in silence for a while but this time it wasn't so loaded with anxiety and Alex actually enjoyed the company of her ex-girlfriend. She really did like Andrea a lot. Maybe in a different world... Who knows?

 _I can say 'no' in a nice way, right?_

"I would have to talk to Red first, you know." Alex finally stated as she looked up at Andrea again. "Me and the band are going to be really busy soon so I need to check with Red first. We're recording new material and going on a small tour. This can be quite hectic for us so I'm not sure I'll find the time."

Andrea's face was split with a huge grin. "I've already talked to her."

 _Fuck._

"Oh yeah?" The brunette was trying not to show how surprised she truly was at hearing that. She gulped on her water. "And what did she say?"

"Something along 'She should have one or two days but I don't get into all that dyke drama, you talk to her' or something like that." Andrea mimicked the Russian accent perfectly and Alex couldn't help laughing out loud even though her situation was getting a little complicated here.

"It's only a day or two you say?" The brunette wanted to make sure that this whole job for Andrea wouldn't take up too much of her time. With the new album coming up and the tour, she soon won't have enough free time. She tried not to think why she suddenly needed it so much.

"Yes."

"And you'll adjust the schedule to my schedule, right?"

"Yes." Andrea started to grin again. She knew she was winning this one.

"I'll need to think about it." Alex finally stated and the model's smile dropped. She felt that the brunette was trying to find and easy way to say 'no' to her and she hated that on so many levels. "I _will_ think about it, Andy." The singer stressed upon seeing the disappointment on Andrea's face.

"That's okay. I know you've been kinda busy recently." She said nonchalantly as she forced and easy smile onto her lips.

Hearing this made Alex nervous. Where was the blonde heading with this conversation now? "Yeah, well. It's been quite hectic time for me, I guess." She admitted. There was no use in denying anything. Andrea knew perfectly well what had been going on. She was the one who had given Alex the phone to the lawyer after all.

"The birds are singing that you're back together with her." The model shot her another smile but this one was a rather sad one, no matter how hard she was trying to hide her true feelings about this.

"She's just a friend." Alex's mood was deteriorating by second. A sudden sadness engulfing her whole being as well. She didn't want to have that conversation right now but how could she say politely to someone to back the fuck off?

"A friend?" Andrea's eyebrows shot to her hairline. It seemed obvious that she wasn't buying anything that Alex was saying.

"Yeah, a friend." Yet, Alex persisted. "Just like me and you."

Andrea chuckled and this time it looked as if she was really amused at the brunette's statement. "Alex, we're not friends and we'll never be friends."

"No?" The singer's eyebrows furrowed. "So what is this?" She motioned to the table. "Why are we having lunch right now?"

"This..." Andrea also pointed to the table now. "... this is business, Alex." She stated shortly but there wasn't any coldness to her tone. She seemed rather defeated and it made the brunette feel really bad. Her stomach turned to stone and she wasn't able to take even one more bite of her salad. "We could never be true friends." The blonde chuckled. "Don't get me wrong. I'll always be here for you. I'll help you if you need me. But I can't see you every other day or talk to you so often." She cleared her throat, obviously struggling with her own emotions. "Do you know when two ex-lovers can continue being close friends after a break-up?" Alex just stared at her. "Only in two cases. One: when there was no love on either side from the very beginning."

"Andy..." The brunette tried to stop Andrea from saying too much but the blonde didn't let her.

"Shh..." She smiled at her even though her eyes were glassy now. "And two: when they never stopped loving each other really." Alex just sat there, her mouth dry, and no idea whatsoever how to react to what she had just heard.

"I'm sorry." Was the only thing that the brunette finally mustered to whisper. She had never wanted to hurt Andrea. _Why the hell life always got so damn complicated?_

The blonde in front of her shook hear head as if she was trying to shake off all the uneasy feelings from her body and then she smiled up at Alex. "Don't be. It's not your fault. But it will be your fault if you don't do anything about your _friend_. And _then_ you will be sorry, Alex."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Andra laughed out. " _Sure_ you don't. But it's only because you won't let your silly brain catch up with your heart." Alex started to protest again, getting more agitated by the second but the model grabbed her hand and squeezed it warmly, silencing her. "It's okay. I get it. I just hope that she can make you happy."

"I don't think it's the brightest idea for you to work with me." Alex swallowed hard. "Why did you propose this job to me?"

"Oh, hon. You won't be working _with_ me. You'll be working _for_ me. We'll hardly see each other. The campaign is led by Joeffrey. You know him. He's a great manager and photographer." Andrea's business voice was back. "And I really, _really_ want you to take part in this project."

"So... I'll think about it." Alex smiled a little. She still felt uneasy.

"That's all I'm asking." Andrea grinned.

XxXxX

Alex was riding her motorcycle at a high speed, passing other cars like crazy. She hardly ever allowed herself for being so irresponsible but she needed to vent and apart from getting high with Nicky (which was not an option that day), this was her best solution. Luckily, it was still quite early in the day so the highway was fairly empty and what the singer was more concerned about than getting into an accident was being pulled over by some cops. It had already happened several times in the past so if they caught her again, she might finally get in some more serious troubles. Those harpies form newspapers would love to write about that. What's better than a rock star being detained, right?

It had been a few days since that meeting with Andrea and Alex's brain was still reeling with million thoughts. The woman had given her time to think everything over till Friday and the brunette was happy that most of her week had been extremely busy with Piper's and Laura's check-up visits with doctors, getting the little girl ready for her school finals, meeting with the lawyers and working on the soundtrack to that film. She had been so determined to keep her mind off of the thoughts that the conversation with Andrea had evoked, that she managed to record the main theme song for Judy, surprising the director on Thursday pizza night by showing her a ready track. Yes, Alex had been ultra productive that week indeed.

But it was Friday now and there was no more delaying nor procrastinating allowed. The singer had to make up her mind so she also needed to clear her head, thus the crazy ride on her bike. There was nothing better then the rush of cooling wind caressing her body. She had been taking her two wheels for rides almost every night since Monday. She usually slipped out of her suite after Piper and Laura had already been asleep. She didn't want them to worry or, what's worse, ask extra questions. Actually, once she stumbled upon Piper when she was getting back to the apartment but her friend, despite being surprised at seeing the singer entering the suite instead of being in bed, didn't comment. Alex suspected that the blonde would flip if she knew that Alex had been so reckless but oh well... She needed her space for a moment. Put her mind at ease again. Today it was particularly difficult and that's why she decided to take the bike out at an earlier hour than usually. Laura was at school and Piper was at her old job, the bookstore, just visiting her friends. She was slowly feeling much better and this fact made Alex happy and relieved.

The brunette felt her phone vibrate in her front pocket but she decided to ignore it. It was just a text so it couldn't be anything important, she figured. After a few minutes of riding, she felt the device come to life again, indicating another message, and when Alex didn't answer to that too, she finally felt her phone going crazy for good. Somebody was trying to get a hold on her and was obviously persistent at that. Maybe something important did happen after all.

She rode on the highway for another few miles, until she was able to get the exit leading her back to LA. She stopped at the first gas station she encountered on her way and took out her phone. It turned out that she had received more messages than she had thought. She must have not felt them coming in. She was too focused on her motorcycle. Controlling a machine with such a big engine was quite difficult at hight speed and the brunette had to strain her muscles to keep it on the road. Only after stopping did she realize how really tired she was. She felt as if she had run a marathon, short of breath, arms and legs aching, hands tingling with the adrenaline still pumping in her veins. She let an exasperated laugh. _God, it's good that I'm actually working out regularly._

There were four text messages: two from Nicky, one from Lorna and one from Piper. The missed phone call was also from the blonde so Alex decided to call her friend before taking a look at any of the messages.

It took Piper only one ring tone to pick up, as if she was waiting for that call, and it made Alex a little nervous.

"Pipes, is everything okay?" She asked immediately, her voice still a little shaky and her breath short from the recent bike ride.

There was a prolonging silence on the other end of the conversation.

"Pipes? Hello?" Alex looked at her phone to check if she was still on the line and only then she heard the blonde's voice.

"Yes, sorry. I was just wondering... Are you free to talk? I can call other time." Piper stated finally, uncertainty evident in her voice.

"Umm... Well, it's me who called now so..." The brunette chuckled into the receiver. "What's up, kid?"

"Lorna called and asked if we're up for dinner together after Laura's off from school."

 _Ah, so that's why they texted me probably._

"Sure." She grinned to herself and looked at her watch. She still needed to get back to the hotel and get her car before she would be able to go for Piper and Laura. There was no way she would show up on a bike there. "I should drop by the bookstore in about an hour. Is that okay?"

"Perfect." She could still hear some odd nervousness in Piper's voice. "I'll let you go now. See you soon."

Click. Conversation over before Alex had a chance to say 'bye'.

 _Weird._

She stood there thinking for moment. She had to make her decision about Andrea's offer. Maybe after all it wouldn't be so bad? And she did wonder who else might have said yes and joined the campaign.

 _Ah, fuck it._

Alex: [Okay, Andy. I'm in.]

 _What can possibly go wrong, right?_

Alex shrugged her shoulders and put her helmet back on. She had to hurry if she didn't want to be late.

XxXxX

The traffic on her way back to the hotel was a bit heavier than earlier but thanks to the fact that she was on her bike, she still managed to get to her car in a fairly short time. That was another reason why she preferred this mode of transport to traditional four wheels. She even had a short moment to quickly run up to her suite and refresh a bit before going for her girls.

 _These are not your girls, you asshole._ She scolded herself. _Friends, friends, friends..._ She repeated in her mind like mantra as she was driving to the bookstore.

Getting Laura from school was fast and easy. Everybody already knew Alex there so she wasn't anyone special there anymore and she liked it that way. She could quickly grab the little girl without being stopped million times by kids _and_ teachers who wanted an autograph or were just eager to talk to her even for a minute. Thanks to this they were able to make it to the restaurant on time, before Lorna had managed to send them thousands of messages.

They were sitting comfortably and chatting while munching on their food. They had chosen to grab some burgers and shakes. Alex wasn't too thrilled for that choice since she really had been trying to keep her body in good shape and it was slowly becoming more and more difficult, but when she saw the sparks in Laura's eyes upon hearing Nicky's idea for the greasy/super sweet snack, she gave up her arguing for something a little more appropriate.

"Mom, can I have French fries too?" The little girl asked as she took a big bite of her burger.

Piper furrowed her eyebrows and huffed. "Why didn't you asked for them when we were placing our oder?" She loved her daughter but she was also annoyed by the girl's indecisiveness at times.

"That's okay. I'll go get her some." Alex smiled and stood up to get back to the bar. "I think I need another bottle of water anyways." She winked at Laura, which earned her a big grin and a quiet 'thank you'.

"You can have some of mine in the meantime." Lorna dropped a few French fries onto Laura's plate. "Here." She ruffled her hair. She loved spending time with the little girl and for the last few months she had been looking for more and more excuses to do just that.

After another few minutes of happy chatter, Laura's eyebrows furrowed a little in thought. She kept glancing at Nicky and Lorna, the way the two women interacted with each other and even though she hadn't given it much thought before, now she was intrigued. She continued to observe them silently until Piper finally noticed her daughter's quietness.

"What's up little one? Everything's good?" She smiled at the child.

"Sure, mom." Laura smiled right back.

"Wonder what's taking Alex so long." Nicky sniggered.

Lorna chuckled as well. "Probably giving out autographs." She turned to Nicky and kissed her temple. "You're hiding your butt here while your friend's facing the world out there."

"You're together, right?" Laura asked looking expectantly at the two women in front of her before Nicky had a chance to answer her girlfriend.

"Right." Lorna smiled at her.

"So you're gay, right?" The girl asked again.

"Yep, you're right on that too." Nicky chuckled.

Piper turned to her daughter with surprise in her eyes. "What's up with the questioning, huh?" It's not like she hadn't talked about such things with Laura but still it intrigued her why the girl was suddenly so curious about their friends. After all, they had been hanging out together for almost a year now and Laura had never asked about such things.

"Oh, nothing." She stopped her mini-interview and turned her attention back to her burger. Yet, not even a few minutes passed when she couldn't help asking another question. "So one day you're gonna get married, right?"

Nicky choked on her food.

"Laura... Stop it." Piper warned her daughter when she realized that the topic now turned to something that Nicky obviously wasn't too keen to discuss.

"It's okay, hon." Lorna smiled at them. "Yes, one day we'll probably get married." She grinned at Laura. All the time Nicky was fighting to take a breath after she finally stopped coughing. Damn, she really needed to steer that little chat into a different direction. Luckily, she didn't have to since Laura decided to do that herself and the wild-haired woman was glad about that, to say the least.

"Is Alex gay too?" The girl turned her sight to her mother.

Piper laughed again a little. This was getting weirder by the minute. "Yeah." She smiled at the child, hopeful to end that bizarre talk.

"But she doesn't have a girlfriend, right?" Laura turned her attention back to Nicky.

And this time even Piper was curious to hear the answer. The fact was that she and Alex had never talked about it so the blonde kinda assumed that there wasn't anyone special in the singer's life but recently she had been acting a little strange. She was disappearing at odd hours of night, coming back home all disheveled and jumping right into the shower. She had also been quite absent-minded most of the time and that today's phone call... Piper was pretty sure she must have interrupted Alex doing something Piper didn't even want to think about as she felt the food growing in her mouth upon a pure thought of the brunette being with someone. If there was someone who knew whether Alex had been seeing some woman, that someone was Nicky.

"Right again. Alex is free like a bird." Nicky grinned more at Piper than at Laura and even though the look that she shot the blonde made her cringe a bit, she now felt that she could breath again. _Why was that even fucking important? It's not that it changes anything..._

Piper had just taken another big gulp of her milkshake to cool down the unpleasant burning in her stomach, when she heard Laura's next words. "It's a pity that mom's not gay then. That would be so cool to have two moms." The little girl grinned happy at her own comment but the moment Piper heard her daughter, she choked on her milkshake so badly that for a second she was sure she would fucking die.

She was still coughing like crazy when Alex finally got back to their table and sat down next to Laura.

"Sorry, guys. The line was huge and some guys bugged me for autographs." She stated as she put a plate full of French fries in front of the girl. And only then did she realize that something was off. Piper's face was red like a ripe tomato and she was struggling to breathe. Nicky and Lorna were rolling with laughter on the other side of the table while Laura sat there chuckling to herself even though she wasn't sure why her simple observation caused such havoc.

"Okay..." Alex looked around their little crowd. "What am I missing?" She grinned because something outstandingly funny must have happen while she was gone.

"Nothing." Piper managed to state, still clearing her throat from time to time. "Just a silly joke." She said quickly as she shot Nicky a glare to shut her up. Somehow she felt that their friend would use that occasion to say something highly inappropriate.

"Is that right?" The singer chuckled. "Must have been hella hilarious."

"I just said..." Laura started but before she was able to finish her sentence, Piper glared at her as well and the girl knew immediately that she would be in trouble if she said what she really wanted to say. She just didn't understand why. So she decided to change her initial statement. "...that Nicky doesn't have as many fans as you and it's not fair." She grinned at her own fast thinking.

"Aww... honey. She's got all the fans she needs right here." Lorna smiled and squeezed Nicky hard, making her cringe with discomfort... which in turn made everybody laugh again.

 _Jesus... That was close._ Piper laughed with them but the nervous butterflies in her stomach indicated that she wasn't at ease just yet. Nope. She doubted she would ever really be. _Get a grip, Piper..._

XxXxX

It was evening on a lazy Saturday. Laura was lying on the bed in the bedroom and reading a new comic book that she had got from Alex earlier in the day. She was completely smitten with the new Wonder Woman series so the unexpected present from the signer made her jump up and down with excitement. She run to take a look at it the moment they came back to the hotel suite from their walk. Taking a stroll daily had become a tradition of theirs lately. It was good for Piper to stretch her legs a bit. Her body was getting stronger every day and soon she would be able to get rid of the cast on her arm. It would be replaced with a brace which was way more comfortable and lighter than what Piper had to be dealing now. At least that was what the doctor had promised. The only thing that really bothered the blonde at the moment was the fact that she was still banned from drinking any alcohol so she would have to wait even few more weeks before she would be able to sip on her favorite wine.

Piper was doing exactly the same thing as her daughter but her choice of literature was vastly different. She was lying on the sofa with a copy of Edgar Allan Poe's book of poems. She loved the gothic style of the author so she was very happy when she found one of his works in Alex's small collection.

From time to time, she had to lift her eyes from the text to answer one of numerous messages from Polly. She had been chatting with her friend on the messenger for over an hour now. It was good to hear that her business was doing better and better. There was even a chance that the soap business would soon expand onto the West coast as well. That was wonderful because it also meant that Polly would be a much more often visitor to California and Piper missed her greatly.

Polly: [Say hi from me to your sexy _friend._ ;) ]

Piper chuckled when she read the last text. She looked up at Alex who was in the kitchen, getting some special spray and some cloth ready because she was about to go to her little studio to tidy up a bit. She didn't trust any of the maids to do this properly without damaging the expensive equipment so she was always cleaning that room herself.

"Polly says hi." The blonde smiled at the singer.

Alex looked up from the task at her hand and grinned. "Ask her when she's going to visit again. It would be fun to spend some time with her and Pete. I remember I liked the guy and Stella would be glad to see him again, too. I can get them the tickets."

Piper: [Alex's asking when you're going to come over here again. :) ]

Polly: [Tell her we'll fly there to your wedding. :P ]

Alex looked up at Piper again when she heard the sound of incoming message. "And? What did she say?"

Piper had to clear her throat. "They're pretty busy right now." She answered shortly.

Piper: [It's not like that and you know it so cut it out.]

Polly: [It's not like what?]

The blonde huffed, making Alex stare at her again and when she noticed the brunette's sight, she just shook her head. "It's nothing." The singer just smiled at her and proceeded getting ready to the task that she hated so much, her little grumbling to herself making Piper smile. She thought the brunette was cute like that.

Piper: [She will never fall in love with me again, Polly. I fucked up. End of the story.]

Polly: [Are you fucking blind?]

Piper furrowed her eyebrows. She looked at Alex again. The singer was just wandering around kitchen, pretending that she was definitely _not_ procrastinating. She really did hate cleaning. She had always detested it and avoided like a plague. It made the blonde chuckle quietly.

Piper: [I'm not fucking blind. I'm fucking realistic.]

Polly: [Realistic my ass.]

Before the blonde managed to reply to her friend, her phone buzzed again.

Polly: [You did not see her at the hospital, Piper. When I told her what happened... I don't think I've ever seen anyone so distraught in my life. She loves you. I am sure about that. In fact, I'm so sure I'm willing to bet a million dollars on that.]

Piper kept her eyes on the brunette, observing her quietly. It was true that Alex had gone out of her way to help her. She had been there on every step of that difficult way and she still continued to look after her and Laura even though she really didn't have to. Especially that now Danny was around and even her parents seemed more genuine when they said they wanted to help. Alex was still here. But that's what any good friend would do, right?

Piper: [You don't have million dollars, Pol.]

Polly: [Yes, but I can always rob a bank or something. See how serious I am?]

Piper burst out laughing, making Alex turn her attention to her and smile. "What's so funny?" She asked amused.

"Polly's just being silly."

Alex chuckled. "You're both quite silly at times." She winked at her on her way to the studio. "Call me if you need anything. I'll leave the door open so I'll hear you."

Piper just sat there lost in her thoughts. What if Polly was right and she still stood a chance with the brunette? But what if her friend was just reading too much into Alex's behavior? If Piper tried anything that could backfire at her tremendously. She didn't want the singer to feel awkward around her again. It had been weird enough at the beginning of their new-old relationship. What if all those feelings bubbling inside the blonde were one sided?

 _Fuck... Why life can't ever be simple?_

She huffed at herself as she lied down on the sofa again. Her phone buzzed yet again.

Polly: [Okay... Don't stress. I can feel your brain getting ready to burst. My advice is simple: just chill, sleep on it... and then sleep with her. :P ]

 _Jesus..._

Piper: [You're not helping, Pol. :P ]

Polly: [Right now I'm not even trying. I'm just having fun at your expense.]

She was about to text back to her friend with some angry comment but her train of thoughts was disrupted by Alex coming back to the living room area. She seemed alarmed and angry and that made Piper raise up to her feet immediately. It wasn't often that she saw the brunette so agitated.

"What happened?" She asked with worry in her voice.

"Nicky's just called me." Alex started to gather her stuff. She put on her leather jacket and started to check if she had her credit cards and phone with her. "She's had a fight with Lorna over something and it looks really bad this time."

"Holly shit..."

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Pipes, but I think I should go and check up on her." Alex looked her in the eye. "Are you fine to stay by yourself tonight?"

"Of course. Don't worry about us." She was also concerned about their friends. What could possibly go so terribly wrong?"Just let me know when you find out something more."

"Sure." Alex threw her a little smile and left in a hurry.

Piper lied down again and took a deep breath.

 _Fuck... just let them be okay at least. One messed up pseudo-couple is enough._

XxXxX

After trying to read for another half an hour, Piper finally gave it up. She was too distracted to be able to focus on the text. She was worried about Nicky and Lorna and she had to find a way to make herself stop thinking about the couple all the time so she decided to get up and shift her attention to Laura. It was getting late and although it was a weekend, she knew that it would be better if the girl didn't get used to going to bed after 10 pm. There was still another week of school in front of her after all and she had to survive it somehow without sleepless nights and later difficult mornings when her daughter would grumble even more if she was tired.

Luckily, this time Laura didn't moan too much about the fact that her mother had told her to get ready to sleep. Maybe it was because Piper let her take a long bubbly bath with the colorful foam that Alex had bought for her. The bath actually looked like a horror scene because the water turned deep red after adding the bubbles. Of course, Laura was elated when she saw that.

Finally, after a good half an hour of soaking in the bloody water, Laura was content to get her butt into the bed. It was probably thanks to all the hours of reading, but the girl seemed genuinely tired and was out much faster than normally.

Piper wanted to follow her daughter's footsteps but she figured that she was too agitated to fall asleep that easily and staying in bed would only frustrate her. She wandered around the suite for a moment, looking for something to do but both reading and watching TV turned out to be out of the question. Her thoughts would constantly come back to Nicky and Lorna and she was tired with it. Alex had sent her a short text saying that she was going to a bar with her band mate, she didn't mention Lorna at all and the woman herself wasn't answering Piper's messages. Maybe she just needed some space... So the blonde stopped harassing her with her texts.

She looked at the open door to Alex's studio and an idea popped into her head. She smiled at her own plan. The singer didn't trust any maids hired by the hotel but Piper was pretty sure that the brunette wouldn't mind it if Piper herself helped her tidy the place up a bit. Physical work was always good for a troubled mind, right? Besides, Alex really did hate cleaning so...

The light was on in the studio and there were all the things she needed to get the place nice and shiny. It was obvious that Alex had left in haste to get to Nicky. This thought made Piper smile. Her friends were everything to the brunette. The blonde knew that best by now.

 _Friends, friends, friends... Yeah..._

She decided to start with the beloved piano but when she turned her attention to the instrument, she realized that Alex's laptop was sitting at the top of it. It was still open and the music software was on. There were headphones plugged in and some soft sounds were coming out of them. Alex must have been checking something out before she was forced to leave. When Piper took a better look at the screen, she saw what the brunette had been listening to. It was Alex's new song, the one she had recorded for the movie. The blonde had never heard it actually but judging by Judy's reaction to it on Thursday, this thing must have been really good.

For a moment Piper hesitated... She didn't want to pry... If Alex had wanted her to hear the song, she would have played to her herself, right?

Another look at the laptop.

And then another...

 _Fuck it._

Her curiosity got the better of her.

 _Besides... She did show me the rest of the soundtrack..._

Piper stopped the ongoing track and put the headphones onto her ears. Rewind to the beginning. Push play. A mellow rhythmic sound of the bass guitar invaded her senses. It was soothing but made you tap your foot to the beat. The blonde smiled upon hearing those first sounds. No wonder the movie maker had been so pleased with the results of Alex's work.

 _Call it magic_

 _Call it true_

 _Call it magic_

 _When I'm with you_

 _And you got me broken_

 _Broken into two_

 _Still I call it magic_

 _When I'm next to you_

Piper's jaw dropped to the floor. Her fingertips stared to tingle with nervousness and her palms got suddenly sweaty. She had to swallow hard even though her mouth felt dry like sand. It was just a movie song, right? Written to fit the movie, _right_?

 _And I don't, and I don't, and I don't, and I don't_

 _No, I don't_

 _It's true_

 _I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no I don't want anybody else but you_

Piper's lips started to tremble and she was angry at herself because it felt so stupid. Why did she get so emotional over something like this? Alex had had an order for a song. She had written the song. That's all, right? So why did these damn lyrics seem so fucking personal? And the way they were recorded.

"Jesus Christ... Get a grip, Chapman." She tried to laugh at herself as she brushed the tears away. Yet, what she heard next, only made them flow harder and she wanted to stop listening but simply couldn't force herself to push the stop button. She was glued to those damn headphones.

 _Wanna fall_

 _I fall so far_

 _I wanna fall_

 _I fall so hard_

 _And I call it magic_

 _And I call it true_

 _I call it magic_

 _And if you were to ask me_

 _After all that we've been through_

" _Still believe in magic?"_

 _Oh yes, I do_

 _With you?_

 _Of course, I do_

"Why does she have to be so fucking good at this?" Piper asked herself aloud after she finally dropped the headphones back on the piano as if they were some hot coals. She took a deep breath as she was trying to calm her nerves down. "Shit." She looked at her hands which were black with her smeared mascara. "I must look like a fucking zombie." She chuckled at herself darkly.

She needed to clean herself up before Alex got back home. That would be so awkward if she saw Piper like that. How could the blonde explain her odd behavior? As she was washing her face in the bathroom, she tried to convince herself that there was nothing in the song, that it was just a product. But in the end there was only one drill in her head...

 _What if, what if, what if..._

XxXxX

Nicky and Alex, even though there were only two of them, were occupying a large booth at one of the most fancy bars in LA. There were several empty shot glasses and beer bottles on the table and both women were currently nursing yet another drink. As it was Saturday night, the place was full of people, making it look more like a small club than a simple bar where you could just drown your sorrows in alcohol. The atmosphere there was happy electric with all the patrons having a good time. Well... All but the two of them.

The brunette just sat there with her chin on her hands, staring at her best friend. She wasn't sure whether Nicky looked more heart-broken or angry. There was a weird combination of feelings mixing in her features. Most of the things she was saying throughout the evening were the words of burning fury but Alex knew better. She was aware that her poor lion-haired companion was hurting and she was sorry for her. She was sorry for the both of them because she and Lorna were really good together. The singer just hoped that they would be able to fix it. No, strike that off... That _Nicky_ would be able to fix it. She had started it in the first place so...

"Nicky..." Alex started tentatively. "Just talk to her. It's okay to admit that you were wrong, you know. Tell her that she just surprised you, that's all."

Her band mate looked at Alex as if she had grown a second head. "Are you kidding me? Hell is going to freeze sooner than I get fucking married."

Alex took an exasperated breath. They had been going over this for the millionth time and her patience with her best buddy was slowly wearing thin. If she was so okay with this why was she acting like some beaten puppy? Of course, the brunette knew exactly why. The point was to make Nicky realize what a horse's ass she had been... and still continued to be by behaving like a brat.

"But you love her, you stupid idiot! Do something about it!" The brunette couldn't help shouting at her friend finally. It was getting late and Alex was slowly becoming: a) tired, b) irritated, c) more and more drunk, as the drinks kept flowing and she wasn't sure how much she would be able to handle that.

Instead of hearing Nicky shout at her back, as she had expected her best friend to do, she saw her laughing heartedly at her. Okay... This was confusing.

"What's so fucking funny, Nichols?"

"You."

That response irritated the brunette even more. "Okay, whatever." She huffed.

"Tell you what... I'm over Lorna. That's it. I've had enough of her clingy claws."

This made Alex's eyebrows go all the way to her hairline. She had not expect that one coming. But then, when she took a second look at her friend, she could tell that Nicky was just trying to fool herself.

"Yeah, right. I call it bullshit." She stated as she took a big gulp of her beer.

"That's rich coming from you, you know." Nicky sniggered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The brunette was getting really tired with this conversation.

"I'm over with my ex-girlfriend but you're not over with yours." The blonde pointed her finger at Alex.

"Oh yeah? I'm so over my past and you know it." The singer was pissed now. This evening wasn't about her for fuck sake. She was there to console her best friend... And now that best friend was trying to make her think about her own life decisions. She didn't like that at all. Nope. And she was getting more and more angry by the minute of that bizarre talk. Why would everybody keep throwing suggestions at her all the time? Fuck, it was getting frustrating.

"Oh yeah?" Nicky wiggled her eyebrows. "Prove it. Go and chat up some chick tonight. Get fucking finally laid 'cause I'm tired with your constantly moping face." She shot right at Alex, making her anger reach a boiling point.

"You know what? Fine. I'll prove it to you that I'm totally fucking fine. Whatever. But you have to prove it to me, too. Same task for you, asshole." She said crossly, hoping that it will make the woman back off but that didn't work.

"Deal." Nicky grinned like a Cheshire cat and extended her hand for Alex to shake.

 _Fuck._

"Deal." She had no other choice now but to take it.

 _Fucking fuck..._

 **2 hours later at a different bar...**

Alex was sitting with her forehead on the cool bar table. This was not supposed to happen. She would never hear the end of it. Ever. Nicky would make sure of that. Oh, so sure of that... And why was Alex sitting there so defeated? Well, maybe because they had had to evacuate themselves from the previous bar because of her. Her and her stupid, stupid, _stupid,_ fuck-up. As it had turned out, the singer had not able to go through with her plan. Yes, she had chat up a hot chick... Yes, she had flirted and all... But the moment things had turned serious, Alex had just felt sick to her stomach. Her whole body had been screaming 'no' at her so... Under the cover of some weak excuse, she had run to find Nicky to get the both of them away from there as fast as she could...

She heard her friend chuckling next to her so she forced herself to lift her head. Nicky was ginning like a fool, a fully satisfied smile plastered on her face. And Alex really wished she could punch her right in the eye... But she couldn't so she just put her head back onto the table and groaned, which only made her friend laugh more.

" . ." The singer mumbled without lifting her head this time.

Even more laughter. Longer and lauder.

"Oh, c'mon, Vause. That wasn't that bad. You could've run from her bed. Now _that_ would've been entertaining." Nicky sniggered and Alex just showed her her middle finger, still without lifting her head.

The truth was that Nicky was extremely glad that they were now sitting comfortably in another bar. If it hadn't been Alex, she was pretty sure that she herself would have ended up running away from that place. She realized now that it had been a matter of who would bolt first really. Now she had the upper hand and she was able to throw annoying jokes at her best friend which gave her a perfect cover for her own uneasy feelings. The fact was that Alex had been right all along and now Nicky knew that too. She had to make it right with Lorna. That or she would go simply crazy... Not so many options there, then.

Nicky showed the bartender to give them another round of shots and beers and a minute later he put the drinks right in front of them, startling Alex a bit and forcing her to finally sit upright.

"Now, stop moping around." Nicky lifted her shot and pushed the other to the brunette. "Numb your stupid brain a little bit with this fine alcohol, calm the fuck down and then go home and make it right." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"I'm not the only one who's gotta go home to make things right, you know." Alex shot back as she lifted her own glass. Her head was starting to spin more than she liked and she was sure that if she didn't get her ass back to the hotel soon, she would be tremendously sorry.

The grin on Nicky's face faltered. "Well... At least now we both know what we have to do, don't we?" She downed her drink and winked at her best friend.

 _Yeah, I guess..._

XxXxX

It was well after 3 am when Alex finally managed to get home. She was really glad that the last bar that she and Nicky had visited was fairly close to her hotel because she wasn't sure whether she would be able to stand straight much longer. Damn, she didn't remember when was the last time she had ingested such a huge amount of alcohol. Even using her key card to open the door to her suite proved to be far more difficult than she had expected.

When she made it inside (after good five minutes of fumbling with the damn card), she shut the door quietly as she didn't want to wake Piper and Laura up. She leaned heavily on the door and took a deep breath, steadying herself.

 _I knew I shouldn't have drunk that last shot..._

She started to fumble with her shoes and after a minute or two she managed to take one off. The other turned out to be far more stubborn.

"Fuck it..." She whispered under her breath as she slid down to the floor to get a better grip at the laces without falling down. She continued to curse quietly to herself as she tried to get rid of the damn shoe but it seemed that it got stuck there for good. "Why the fuck do I like those biker boots again?" She closed her eyes and bumped her head on the door in surrender.

And then she heard the giggling which made her snap her eyes wide open. Well, she wasn't alone in the room after all. Only now did she realize that there was dimmed light coming from the lamp standing next to the sofa. And on the sofa itself there she was.

Piper was sitting with a book in her lap and it was quite clear that she hadn't slept a wink that night. It made Alex feel bad. She didn't want the blonde to worry but in the whole craziness of that evening she had totally forgotten to text her back when she had continued to ask about Nicky and Lorna.

And yes, Piper was worried about her friends but at the present she was more occupied with the woman sitting now on the floor in front of her. She knew that the brunette had an outstanding talent when it came to drinking alcohol... But she also knew that very often she would just keep a straight face to the world and crumble right down the moment she entered the safety of her own home where people could no longer see her in her intoxicated state. And that seemed to be the case right now.

"Because they're sexy as hell and you know it." The blonde continued to giggle as she approached Alex and crouched down next to her feet. She untangled her laces without a single problem and soon took the boot off.

"Thank you." The brunette whispered.

"You're welcome." Piper whispered right back with a smile on her face. She liked this version of Alex when it appeared from time to time. She was cute and adorable in her clumsiness. "Now, let's get you to bed, shall we?" She stood up and reached out with her healthy arm which Alex gladly accepted. She was too tired and too drunk to be able to resist Piper's care.

The blonde pushed Alex gently onto the sofa, making her giggle lightly.

"What's so funny, you little drunk ass?" She chuckled as she got herself busy with taking the sofa cushions away to make more space. With all of them gone, the sofa turned actually into a nice comfortable bed.

"You're my Wonder Woman." The brunette grinned like a fool and it made Piper laugh. Alex could be such a dork sometimes. Especially when she was intoxicated.

"I am now, huh?" She chuckled some more and sat down text to Alex on the makeshift bed.

"You look cute in this outfit."

Piper looked down at her pajama and laughed again. "Yeah... Well, you look cute when you're drunk. Although, I'm not so sure you'll look or feel as cute when the morning comes." She sniggered when Alex groaned at that thought. "You sure you want to sleep in your jeans?"

"Why? You wanna get me out of them?" The brunette wiggled her eyebrows, making Piper laugh yet again.

"You're such a moron sometimes, I swear." She giggled.

"It's good that it's only sometimes, then." Alex smiled with her eyes closed. She really felt the alcohol pumping hard in her veins and the first signs of throbbing headache were accompanying that too. She scowled a bit when the pain got stronger near her temples.

"What is it?" Piper put her hand on the brunette's cheek when she noticed that something was not entirely right. Her hand was cool and felt so pleasant on Alex's heated skin. She just lied there, enjoying the shooting touch. How come even such a simple gesture could make it all alright?

Piper observed as Alex's furrowed eyebrows evened out, leaving her beautiful face looking peaceful and serene. It was all quiet for a long time and the blonde thought her friend had fallen asleep so she was startled a bit when the singer suddenly opened her eyes and looked straight into Piper's blue pools.

"What?" She whispered when Alex didn't say anything for a while, just continued to stare at her with her piercing gaze.

The brunette covered Piper's hand with her own. "You leave me defenseless." She finally whispered with shaky voice and it made the blonde draw in her breath.

There were million thoughts in Piper's mind. She felt as if her brain was about to explode as sat there staring right back at the brunette, totally dumbfounded.

 _Ah, fuck it..._

"Here comes my million bucks..." She whispered humorously more to herself than anyone else.

"Wh..." Alex was about to ask what the hell she meant by that but she was stopped by a pair of soft lips on her own. In her utter surprise, it took her a second too long to respond and she sprung into action only when she felt Piper starting to draw back. Alex put both of her hands on the blonde's cheeks, keeping her from retreating to her shell. The gentle touch made Piper smile as pure relief flooded her body. The kiss was unhurried and tender. Sweet and hot at the same time and Alex thought that her heart was about to burst.

 _That's exactly what was missing._

She also smiled into the kiss, still not fully believing that it was happening. She felt like a kid in a candy store, like a man who finally found a spring of water after traveling through a desert for a week. Her head was spinning but she was pretty sure the alcohol had nothing to do with it this time.

They continued to explore each other's mouths leisurely, savoring the moment, until their lungs started to scream for air.

Piper touched her forehead to Alex's and smiled to herself with her eyes still closed when she felt her own lips tingle from all the kissing. It had been ages since she enjoyed it so much. Alex caressed her cheek with her thumb and the gesture made her smile turn into a wicked grin.

"We're good?" The brunette asked as she made Piper look her in the eye. She also had an extremely happy expression on her drunk face. The foggy eyes made the blonde giggle again.

 _God, stop being so giddy, you fool!_

"We're perfect." She pecked Alex's lips again. Just because she could.

[Disclaimer: The song used in this chapter is "Magic" by Coldplay. I had to change the lyrics just a little bit to fit the story better.]


	12. Chapter 12

\- 12 -

Throbbing in her temples. Sharp pain in the back of her scull. Her head felt as if elephants suddenly decided to do the merengue on her cerebellum. And God, _the thirst_. Her mouth was a fucking Sahara desert. The loud screeching noise in her ears didn't make things better either. Though her eyes were still closed, she could sense that it was already light outside. She didn't dare to open them just yet, too scared that they would simply pop out since they felt too big for her own scull.

 _Fucking Nicky Nichols..._

Every muscle, every bone and every tendon of her body were aching with daunting insistence. She swore that if she just listened carefully enough, she would hear her own cells scream at her for help. But she was powerless. Defeated by hard liquor and her own stupidity. Her whole body felt heavy, as if someone was keeping it in place, making it difficult to move even an inch.

 _Wait a fucking second..._

Only now, when she forced herself to stop focusing on her own sorry mass of limbs, she realized that she wasn't alone in bed. There was a warm body pressed closely to hers. A leg lying idly between hers (she noted that they were still clad in her jeans, thank God), a head on her shoulder and lips so close to her neck that Alex could feel the soft cool breaths tickling her overheated skin. She had been afraid to open her eyes before but now her system was flooded with sheer panic. What on earth had she done?

After lying there for another couple of minutes, her mind turning to more and more crazy thoughts, she finally took a big steadying breath and decided to slowly force her heavy eyelids to open. She needed to check the damages, right? Find out where the fuck she was and with whom... And, most importantly, plan her nice and safe escape route.

 _Here we go..._

Alex opened her left eye first, just to test whether the light would make her brain bleed. Nope. Nothing happened. So now she opened the other eye as well and took a tentative look down her body. She was still fully dressed, only her boots were gone, and there was an arm covered with cast lying across her abdomen. That would explain why she felt pinned down for good.

 _Wait... WHAT?_

She lifted her head carefully as not to wake up the person lying basically on her. Blond hair, cute pajamas with Wonder Woman theme...

Alex put her head back on the soft pillow and rubbed her face with her hand, the one which was not held captive by Piper. She worked hard to remember how she had ended up on the sofa with her friend on her arm (who, by the way, seemed perfectly comfortable and content in their current position, which was rather far from being just friendly). The images from the club, then the bar flooded her mind. She recalled talking to Nicky on the phone when she was in the cab and on her way home. She kinda remembered fumbling with the key card to her hotel suite. Then nothing but huge black hole... And then... Alex kissing Piper with abandon. Lying on the sofa. Piper telling her to go to sleep.

 _Oh. My. God._

"Oh my God..." She blurred out much louder than she had intended and the head that was lying on her shoulder stirred. She felt Piper move her cast-clad arm. And then she heard a muffled giggle.

"That bad, huh?" The blonde lifted her head up and looked down at the singer. Her hair was in cute mess, her blue eyes still full of sleep, but there was a timid smile on her gorgeous lips and it made Alex calm down but just a bit. She was still highly confused, pretty close to being panic-stricken, in fact.

"Is it possible to die of hangover?" The brunette chuckled but it was difficult to detect honest mirth behind that joke. Alex was tense, nervous, unsure of what had really happened. Had she come home and bothered Piper? Had the blonde kissed her back just to placate her and put to sleep? A single thought about such possible turn of events made Alex sick to her stomach and she cringed.

Piper laughed a little but upon first real glance on Alex's face, she immediately knew that something must have been wrong with the brunette and she didn't mean the obvious hangover. Did she regret what had happened? Fuck... What if Alex had been just too drunk to make real decisions and that kissing and everything after had been nothing but a simple impulse?

"Alex..." She whispered, feeling heat rising to her cheeks. "Is everything alright?"

 _Please, please... Say yes._

Alex swallowed hard and had to force herself to look the blonde in the eye. Every movement and every face expression screamed 'uncertainty' and 'uneasiness' and Piper thought her heart would break into million pieces in a second. She looked down, not being able to maintain the eye contact anymore.

"If I had done something wrong last night..." The brunette started to say but was suddenly stopped by a laughing Piper.

Upon hearing Alex's words, all the sadness and fear was gone from the blonde's mind. That was a relieved laugh, indeed. Jesus Christ... Alex thought that _she_ was the one who could have possibly done something wrong? How much did she actually remember from the last night?

"You did nothing wrong, Al." The blonde smiled and stared down at Alex. But hen, after a few seconds of those beautiful blues lingering on the brunette's features, Piper's eyebrows furrowed again. "Did _I_ do something wrong?" She asked, the worry came back with double force. What if Alex not only worried that she had done something wrong but she also simply hadn't wanted anything of that regardless who had started that. "Oh God... I'm sorry... I thought..." She started to clumsily lift herself from the singer. This was getting fucking weird and highly uncomfortable... And it wasn't supposed to be like that.

 _Fuck._

"Pipes, wait." Alex stopped the blonde's movements and forced her to stay on the sofa with her. "That's not what I meant." She huffed at herself for being such an asshole. Why was it so hard to remember stuff? She swore she would never drink so much ever again. Really. She looked at Piper and was instantly pissed at herself even more when she saw how glassy her eyes were. "I might have a little problem remembering last night." She finally admitted sheepishly. "But that doesn't mean I have a problem with this..." She added quickly and looked down at their bodies so close together. Just to put the blonde at ease since she still looked quite distressed. "It's just... A little confusing?"

Piper sat up a bit, wanting more distance from the brunette. She took a steadying breath. "Well... You came back late at night, drunk silly." She smiled at the memory of Alex's amusing wasted face. Piper hated drunk people after all that she had been through, but the brunette was not scary... She was adorable in her own funny way. "And you were clumsy and cute." She looked up at Alex with her big Bambi eyes. "And you were saying things and... I don't know... I just had to kiss you." She finished, her cheeks rosy.

" _You_ kissed _me_?" The brunette's smile couldn't get any broader.

Upon seeing that, Piper was also unable to stop the corners from her mouth from lifting. "Well... yeah. What did you think?" She narrowed her eyes at the woman lying next to her.

But Alex just started to chuckle and gently pulled the blonde down until she was comfortably nestled in her initial position from that morning. "Never mind..." She could feel the tension finally leaving her body for good. "Let's just start this morning all over again, shall we?" She smiled to herself. "So this is the part where I groan and ask you whether it's possible to die of hangover." She stated mock-seriously, making the blonde on her arm giggle, and hearing that heavenly sound right next to her ear turned her lips into a huge grin, despite the still throbbing pain in her temples.

"It really _is_ that bad, huh?" Piper asked and placed a light kiss on Alex's neck, making her grin even broader.

 _God, I could get used to those lips._

"Bad? Jesus, woman... I'm fucking dying. It sucks being old." The brunette rubbed her face with the free hand.

"We're not that old, Al." Piper chuckled with her eyes closed. She marveled freely now at the closeness to the brunette.

"Maybe you're not that old."

"You aren't that much older than me, Al."

"Well... Apparently, older enough for my liver to feel the difference." The brunette laughed at herself. "I need a shower, and I need some painkillers, and I need a drink."

"I think you've had enough to drink already." Piper lifted her head and looked down at the woman below her.

"I meant _water_. I don't think I'll touch any alcohol for the next century." Alex admitted and Piper started to laugh again when she saw her pained face. "Oh, shut up..." The brunette made her lie down again. "I don't even remember the last time I got myself so inebriated."

"What kind of a rock star are you?" The blonde giggled into Alex's neck and the singer couldn't help her head being flooded with very old but very fond memories from all those years back. She looked down at her companion and started giggling herself when she saw that Piper most definitely was thinking about the same thing.

"The only-beer-touching kind." She chuckled but soon winced in pain when she felt those fucking elephants starting their dance in her head all over again. "God, I _am_ getting too old for this."

The blonde laughed and started to lift herself up from the sofa again.

"What are you doing?" The brunette missed the warmth of her body instantly.

"Getting you some water and the pills so you can finally stop grumbling." She chuckled when Alex whined with a little 'hey'. "Besides, Laura's going to be up soon and it would probably be better if she didn't see you like that." She motioned to Alex's clothes from the previous night, all wrinkled and looking like shit really. "Getting rid of that smell of tequila on you could also help, by the way." She smiled upon making that point but she hoped that Alex understood what she really meant. The fact was that Piper didn't want her daughter to see the singer like that. The girl had seen her own father drunk or heavily hangovered more than enough times and each time it had happened Laura had been petrified. Of course, there was nothing to fear with Alex but the blonde worried that her child might not now that so...

The brunette lifted herself to a sitting position slowly. She put her elbows on her thighs and landed her head in her palms, groaning at how the world was still spinning around her. She was pretty sure there was still some alcohol in her system and she was pissed at herself since she had promised Laura to take them to that zoo finally and now she knew she shouldn't be driving.

"We'll have to grab a cab." She mumbled to herself.

"What?" Piper asked as she sat down next to her. She pushed a big glass of cool water into Alex's one hand and a few pills into the other. The brunette downed the water with a moan of relief, making Piper laugh yet again. Apparently, the fact that she was hurting amused her companion to no end.

 _Whatever. She's cute when she's chuckling like that._

"Zoo. Remember?" Alex leaned on the backrest and closed her eyes, hoping that the dizziness would soon go away. "I've promised Laura to take you guys to the zoo today. We'll need to get a cab to get there. I can't drive." She stated and took a big breath.

Piper put her feet on the sofa and snuggled close to the brunette again, circling her waist with her healthy arm, and the gesture brought a smile onto Alex's lips.

 _Yes, I'm already getting used to that, indeed._

They just sat like that for a while. The suite being completely silent and the lack of any sounds was exactly what the singer needed. Her head was still heavy and throbbing with pain and she was hoping for the painkillers to kick in soon, before the ache made her crazy.

Suddenly, Piper's head popped up from her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" The brunette asked immediately when she saw the alert expression on Piper's face.

"Did you tell Laura that we would go to the zoo today? Does she know about that trip?"

Alex's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Well... Yeah..." She looked down at the blonde. "I shouldn't have told her?"

Piper took her cell phone from the coffee table in front of them and looked at its screen. She smiled to herself. "It's still early, but she'll be up in no time. You better force yourself to get a move on."

The singer also took a look at the time. "But it's not even 8!" She whined. "What are you talking about? Laura's like you. She loves to seep in..."

The blonde chuckled and looked Alex in the eye. "Okay... Laura's like me..." She wiggled her eyebrows but the brunette didn't seem to get what her friend was trying to say. "C'mon, Al... Think..." Piper tried again, fighting hard not to grin like and idiot. Alex really was cute when she was hangovered like that. Her brain was still a little slow.

"Okay... Your daughter is like you..." Alex furrowed her eyebrows even more but her mind was blank. "And?" She finally gave up, making Piper laugh.

"What do I usually do when I know that the next day will be super exciting for me and I'm really, _really,_ looking forward to it?"

Alex needed another few seconds for the penny to finally drop. Yep, Laura would be up any second now. It was actually a surprise she didn't run to wake Alex up at 6 am just to get to the zoo sooner. Excitement would put her on her feet any moment now.

"Shit." She groaned and put her head back on the back of the sofa.

"Yeah..." Piper chuckled. "Tough shit, baby, but you really have little time to put yourself back together."

The endearment thrown into her statement so easily put a broad smile onto Alex's lips and despite feeling as if a whole army tank brigade had run over her _twice_ , she looked happy.

"What are you grinning at?" Piper's voice got her out of her bubble and she looked straight at her.

"You called me baby." The big smile still lingering on her lips.

Piper's cheeks turned into a lovely shade of delicate red but she didn't break the eye contact. A small timid smile appeared on her lips as well now. "Yeah, I guess kinda I did."

"I guess I kinda like it." Alex retorted. "So much that I would kiss you right now if I didn't need to brush my teeth so bad." She chuckled.

Piper moved closer to her again and kissed the brunette at the corner of her mouth. "So why don't you speed up your movements and fix that little issue, hmm?" She wiggled her eyebrows, making Alex laugh again.

XxXxX

The wonderfully hot shower was a true savior to Alex. She stood under the spray much longer than she would normally do but she simply couldn't force herself to leave the pleasant steamy place. Her muscles felt much more relaxed now and even the headache seemed to finally have decided to give her a break. Those painkillers that Piper had given her started to work their wonders and Alex gradually felt more and more like an actual human being again. She quickly brushed her teeth and threw some clothes on herself. Nothing too fancy, simple blue jeans dungarees with a black tank top underneath. A bit of eyeliner, one last fast look in the mirror and she was ready to face the world again.

When she entered the living room she saw that Piper must have also used the last hour to get ready for the day. Gone were the cute pajamas and now the blonde was wearing black pants and a simple white oversize t-shirt. She was standing by the cooker, obviously preparing something delicious for breakfast. Alex could feel her own mouth start watering when her nose was assaulted with the aroma of fried bacon, eggs and freshly ground coffee. She walked up to Piper and smiled to herself when she realized that the blonde hadn't noticed her just yet, too focused at the task at her hand.

"Hey there, gorgeous..." The singer sneaked her arms around Piper's waist and placed a delicate kiss at the back of her neck, making her jump and drop the spatula onto the floor with a loud noise.

"Jesus..." Both Piper and Alex bent to pick the spatula up. The blonde's hands were shaking even though it was clear that she was trying hard to make them stop. "I'm sorry, Al." She tried to apologize for her odd behavior but Alex took her hands in her own and squeezed gently, making her shut up instantly.

"No, that's okay. It's my fault." She smiled at her. "I shouldn't be sneaking around like that. I'm sorry." She felt guilty for making Piper so scared and uncomfortable even for a second. What the fuck was she thinking?

 _You were not fucking thinking, you damn idiot._

"It's just that sometimes I get a little..." The blonde started again when they were back on their feet.

"...weird. Yes, you've told me that already." Alex looked Piper in the eye. "And that's totally fine. I understand and I'm sorry for not being smarter. That was just instinct, I guess." She smiled at the woman in front of her. She was glad to notice that the blonde managed to calm down a little bit and now was smiling softly back at her, her cheeks slightly rosy, but her arm was now around Alex's midriff and she looked as if she was about to kiss her when...

"Mom, what's burning?" The loud laughter coming from the bedroom door made Alex take a fast step back from the embrace but she was surprised to see that Piper had no panicky reaction whatsoever. Her hand was still resting idly on Alex's hip, even though now there was definitely more space between them and she turned her body more to the burning bacon on the frying pan.

"I guess, there won't be any bacon for breakfast after all. Unless you like eating coal." The blonde chuckled and finally dropped her hand from Alex's body to finish with the cooking but she still seemed totally content with her daughter seeing them in a slightly questionable position.

On the other hand, Laura didn't act as if she noticed anything inappropriate. She joined them in the small kitchen and without sparing them even one look, jumped on the counter to get a glass for herself. Piper continued to prepare the plates and cutlery and it looked as if only Alex was standing there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

"Move, babe, if you don't help, don't get in the way." Piper pushed her to the other side of the counter and forced her to sit on the stool, making Laura giggle loudly.

"I know you said you're not a morning person but you're being really weird today." The girl laughed some more as she poured Alex a glass of orange juice and plopped down on the stool next to her. The singer was about to give the child some sorry excuse but Laura didn't give her any chance and started to ask million and one questions about the upcoming trip to the zoo, making it easier for Alex to avoid any awkward conversation about their current situation. She and Piper obviously still had to discuss if and how they would tell Laura that they were together now. Yet, that was something that Alex didn't want to think about too much at the moment. She was sipping on her perfect coffee and telling Laura everything she wanted to know about their day, laughing at the little girl's comments and sheer joy. Her eyes would light up and her smile was so big that the brunette started to forget about her bad hangover. The fact that the throbbing pain in her temples was gone now did help a lot too. She was sitting there grinning like a madman because despite all the complications and difficulties that for sure they were about to face, Alex couldn't remember the last time she was so utterly happy. When she thought that Laura wouldn't notice the singer was stealing little glances at Piper who was still finishing up preparing their breakfast. Sometimes their eyes would meet and the blonde would blush a little and clear her throat to be able to speak normally and Alex had to do try really, really hard not to start laughing right there and then.

"Can Nicky and Lorna go with us?" When neither Piper nor Alex reacted to the yet another question Laura's eyebrows furrowed and she kicked the singer's ankle lightly, making the brunette jump in her seat.

"Hey, what was that for?" Alex chuckled as she looked down at the little girl by her side.

"You're both acting weird today." Laura scoffed and the brunette could feel heat rising up her neck. She really didn't want to have that conversation right now. She looked up to Piper for support but the blonde, who was now sitting in front of them on the other side of the table and munching on her breakfast, was just laughing lightly and looked as if she didn't care what Alex told her daughter. "So? Can they?" Laura's high-pitched voice brought Alex back to earth.

"Who can do what?" She asked, pretending that everything was okay and totally avoiding the comment about her and Piper acting weird. She was glad that she could focus on something else.

Laura rolled her eyes and whined. "See? You're not listening to me at all!"

Piper started to laugh again at her daughter's impatience. The girl really did take after her mother a lot. "We are listening." She put her hand on Laura's forearm. "I don't think Nicky and Lorna can make it today."

"Why not?" The girl was clearly highly disappointed.

"I think they have other plans for today, pumpkin." Alex ruffled the girl's hair a bit, making he grumble some more. "Oh c'mon. Don't be like that or they won't let you feed the seals."

Laura's face lighted up upon hearing Alex's suggestion that such possibility even existed. "I can feed the seals?" She asked with anew excitement painting her face. Clearly, the previous 'drama' of Nicky and Lorna not going with them was immediately forgotten and the singer was glad that sometimes children were so easily distracted.

"Only if you're smiling. They don't like grumps." She chuckled at the little girl. "Now, since you've finished breakfast, go and brush your teeth. We have to leave soon if we don't want to miss the morning feeding time." Alex wiggled her eyebrows and thankfully Laura didn't have to be told twice. She jumped off the bar stool and run straight to the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a loud thump which in turn made Alex cringe. She was obviously still sensitive to loud noises. "Jesus, can she at least try to be a little quieter today?" The brunette asked as she massaged her temples.

Piper was simply unable to hold back the laughter that had been threatening to escape her throat for good ten minutes now. The vision of Alex still heavily hangovered amused her to no end, especially now that she knew that the singer had been just pretending that she was okay while in reality she was barely holding it together. The blonde was grateful that her friend... _Girlfriend?_... took such a great care to make Laura feel comfortable and safe.

She walked up to Alex and made the bar stool that she was sitting on turn around so that the brunette was now facing her and before the singer could utter a single word, she put her healthy arm around her waist and pecked her lips lightly. It was a short kiss but the whole gesture was enough to surprise the brunette, a fact which was clearly visible on her face.

"What?" Piper asked smiling but all that Alex was able to do was grin in return.

"What was that for?" She finally managed to make her vocal cords work again.

"Does it always have to be for something?" The blonde cocked her eyebrow.

Alex chuckled at her friend's... _girlfriend's?_... response before leaning back into her for another, definitely longer kiss. After all those years she craved those plump pink lips so much that it was actually slowly becoming funny. The moment she felt Piper's mouth on her own she could swear she felt little lightening bolts going off in her head and for a second she was unable to register any other things except for those soft lips. She was about to deepen the kiss when...

"Ally, I'm ready. When are we going? Do I have to take my backpack? Maybe I should... I need to take water and cookies."

The first instance they heard the tiny excited voice of their little companion, Alex practically jumped away from Piper with the speed of light. Unfortunately, she wasn't as graceful in that as she had hoped for and almost landed on her ass since she tripped on the goddamn bar stool leg and that was what caused both the older and the younger blondes to burst out laughing, although each of them was probably laughing for a different reason.

"Ally, you're so clumsy..." Laura shook her head at her mother's best friend. "C'mon, you need to get ready!" She took Alex's hand and started dragging her in the direction where the singer's shoes and jacket were.

"Wait a second, princess. What about me?" Piper chuckled, still amused at Alex's panicky reaction from a second ago (which earned her a glare from the brunette).

"You too, mom. I don't want to be late." Laura whined while still pulling at Alex's arm.

"You heard her, Pipes. Get a move on. The seals are waiting." The brunette winked over her shoulder as she let Laura now push her to the door.

"Go ahead, get ready and get the cab. I'll just put the plates into the dishwasher and I'll be coming soon." Piper said as she started to gather all the dishes from the table.

"Oh yes, you will." Alex chuckled to herself as she was putting her shoes on but loud enough for the blonde to hear her loud and clear and when the singer lifted her head back up she was faced with a rather flushed version of her friend... _girlfriend?_

 _Oh, this is going to be interesting..._

XxXxX

Despite the early hour the sun was shining with all its power and Alex thanked all the gods that she had remembered to take her sunglasses with her. And her baseball cap. At first she didn't want to turn people's attention to herself but now she was also happy about the fact that the scorching heat wasn't touching her skull directly. She had already drunk two isotonic drinks and she felt much better than earlier that morning but she still suffered from minor dehydration so the high temperature wasn't helping.

She was now standing behind over-excited Laura who was trying to make up her mind about the color of her cotton candy. Alex couldn't believe that the little girl had managed to persuade her yet again to buy the sweet annoying thing. She just hoped now that Laura would choose some light color since obviously, despite Piper's begging, white was not even an option.

"Maybe take the lemon one. You like lemonade. This should have similar taste." The blonde suggested with a hint of hope lingering in her voice and Alex had to suppress a laugh that was threatening to escape her throat.

Laura kept skimming her eyes from one color to another until her gaze landed on something that made Piper's blue orbs grow twice the size and this time the singer failed miserably at stopping herself from laughing out loud. After a little while she somehow managed to collect herself when she saw the blonde's piercing eyes throwing daggers at her. She bent over to face the little girl in front of her. "Strawberry is not an option, pumpkin. We've just come here, there's a whole day ahead of us and I refuse to be walking around with a girl who looks as if she bit somebody's head off." She shook her head just to stress her point. "Nope. I'd go with lemon or coconut if I were you."

"It would be cool to look like a vampire." Laura giggled and teased Piper for a little longer before she finally decided on the coconut flavor.

They started their walk around the zoo and Alex was surprised to find the whole experience actually fun. Much more than she had ever anticipated. Laura was full of energy. She would continue to run around from one place to another and the amazement on her face just kept growing as they went. What also kept growing was the smile on Piper's lips and the singer couldn't help staring at her companion. More than once the blonde caught her lingering gaze but instead of looking away as she used to do just a few weeks before she just threw Alex a sparkling white grin which made the brunette's heart melt a little more each time it happened. She felt like a teenager who's marveling at her first crush.

 _Well, she is my first love. And the last one._

Alex grinned to herself.

"What's so funny?" Laura's big blue eyes were looking at her with curiosity.

"Funny?" The brunette wasn't able to hide the confusion.

"Ally, you look like a madwoman. What's up with you?" The girl giggled and bumped her elbow into Alex's side. Apparently, the singer didn't realize that not only had she been constantly grinning for the whole day but she was also keenly observed by her little companion. Now she was standing there like an idiot with her mouth agape and an empty mind because the truth to be told, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to tell Laura. Of course, she knew why she was in such a wonderful mood despite her raging hangover but she didn't want to say too much about the current state of her heart. She wanted to discuss this whole thing with Piper first and unfortunately they hadn't had enough time that morning.

Alex was about to come up with some sort of joke but thankfully Laura's attention was suddenly drawn somewhere else and she run squealing in the direction of a huge cage where tigers were kept. It turned out that there was a little baby tiger with its mother and the girl was overjoyed to see the cute cub playing in high grass and practicing its hunting skills... which were on very low level, making his attempts look rather adorable than frightening.

When she realized that the threat of a very uncomfortable conversation disappeared, Alex took a long deep breath and was about to take another big gulp of her ice-tea when she heard rich laughter behind her back. She took off her sunglasses, put them on her baseball cap and turned around to face the still chuckling blonde only to realize that she was standing right behind her, only the length of the cap's peak keeping them apart. The brunette grinned even wider now, her eyes not leaving the baby blues even for a second.

"What's so funny, Pipes?"

The blonde's sparkling white teeth were on full display and the dimples in her cheeks made Alex's heart do little somersaults but she fought hard not to show how completely powerless she was to Piper's charm.

"If you could just see your own face, baby." Piper chuckled again. "I thought it was just sheer panic but your furrowed eyebrows clearly indicated a very fast thinking process right there." She tapped Alex's temple and burst out laughing again but this time the brunette joined her in her merriment.

"Well, I just didn't know whether I should inform your daughter that's she's no longer your only baby, _baby_." The singer wiggled her eyebrows at the shorter woman and smiled down at her. She didn't want to push Piper into any serious conversation right now but on the other hand she did want to know where this was going. They were a couple now after all, right? So Laura should know about this too but how to tell her and when it was up to the blonde.

Upon hearing Alex's teasing way of pronouncing the last word, Piper's cheeks warmed up and turned a little pinkish but she didn't drop her gaze from the drilling green gaze in front of her. Just the opposite, she stared at the brunette as if she was challenging her to say something more but Alex just grinned right back at her without uttering a single word. The truth was that she simply enjoyed looking at her, especially now that she didn't have to pretend that she wasn't interested in the woman before her.

"You're right, Al. Laura should know that things have changed a bit." It was finally Piper who broke their comfortable silence. She smiled warmly at the brunette. "We'll talk to her soon, _baby_."

Alex just grinned and she was about to tease back when she felt a tiny hand gripping her own and pulling her somewhere. Laura's excited voice brought her back to reality and before Alex knew what was really going on, she was dragged to the cage with the tigers and she fought hard to focus her gaze on the little girl this time instead of her beautiful girlfriend. The child was speaking with the speed of a machine gun again, all the bubbling emotions getting better of her, and the singer made sure that this time she was paying attention to every word. She didn't want to be caught not listening again (yes, this had happened several times just that morning). She and Piper would make everything official and explain things to Laura but up until then, they still had to behave and not draw the attention to themselves.

And behave herself Alex did... For an hour or two... Until she couldn't take it anymore and she just had to at least hug the blonde next to her. She didn't really plan on doing that. It all came out so naturally that neither of them even noticed that they weren't standing separately anymore. They were at a burger bar, waiting in line to place their order when Alex sneaked her arms around Piper's waist and hugged her from the back as they were looking up at the menu on the wall and discussing what they wanted to eat. It was only when the brunette's thumb started doing little circles on Piper's abdomen, under her shirt, the singer caught herself and stopped before Laura had the opportunity to see them. Luckily, the girl was standing in front of them and also focusing on slowly reading the kids menu. Piper just turned her head and grinned at her. She obviously was having fun at the whole situation and didn't seem bothered at all that they might be caught by her daughter. This put Alex at ease as well. Maybe even a bit too much and that's why she didn't stop herself from touching the blonde a bit more from now on. She would catch her hand to show her something or drape her arm over her shoulders here and there. Nothing too explicit but still Alex found herself longing the physical connection and truth to be told Piper didn't limit herself that much either. She would put her hand on Alex's thigh when they were sitting in that bar and she knew that Laura didn't see them. Once she wiped Alex's bottom lip with her thumb when she noticed that some chocolate remained on it after the singer took a big bite of Laura's cake. It took Alex all her willpower not to suck on it a bit just to tease the blonde. The more they went on like this, the more the brunette wanted to get her hands on Piper. She could literally feel the tingling in her fingertips. She really was hoping that after all day in the zoo and all the walking, Laura would drop dead tired on the bed early.

XxXxX

Sometimes when one wants the day to go by fast because they're waiting for something to happen, it drags terribly. And that is exactly what it felt like to both Piper and Alex. The morning wasn't that bad... The afternoon was still kinda okay... When the evening came and they finally managed to get back to the hotel (after walking in the zoo for hours, grabbing lunch, going shopping AND grabbing dinner...), even though she enjoyed Laura's company thoroughly, the singer was hoping that soon they would persuade the girl to jump into the shower and go to bed withing an hour or two from coming home...

...And yet it was far after 11 o'clock now and Laura was sitting on the floor in front of Alex, sipping on a glass of water, pretending to be thirsty just to stay up for another couple of minutes to watch the movie that was on TV. She was also talking constantly, obviously still excited about the day, and Alex could swear that for the first time in her life she was going drag a kid by the legs to the bed if she refused to go on her own for much longer. Piper just sat on the sofa next to her, hiding her eyes behind some book but still observing the brunette keenly, and she had to do all in her power not to laugh out loud at Alex's attempts to get her daughter to finally go away. No, scratch that, she did laugh out loud a few times and earned herself a glare or two from Alex and a confused look from her daughter who was completely clueless about the whole situation, which made it even more funny.

"Okay, pumpkin, it's way ofter your bedtime. Brush your teeth and jump into bed." Alex finally had enough of being nice and understanding. She needed to be bad cop sometimes too, right? She stood up and took the glass from Laura's hand.

"But I'm thirsty!" The girl whined obviously in attempt to steal some more time for herself in front of the screen.

Piper laughed again without lifting her eyes from the book that she had been 'reading' and the brunette stuck out her tongue at her and turned back to Laura. "If you drink another glass of water now, you'll pee in the bed." That got the girl giggling. "I'm serious, I don't want to have a wet bed. Now c'mon, get your little ass up." She helped Laura lift herself up from the floor and almost pushed her out of the living room, which evoked another round of chuckling from the blonde who stayed on the sofa. Alex just flipped her off when the little girl couldn't see and proceeded to make sure that Laura would be asleep as fast as possible.

Three bedtime stories and over an hour later the singer finally returned to the living room and she was glad to find Piper still sitting on the sofa with a book in her hand. The brunette had been afraid that after such long waiting Laura wouldn't be the only one falling asleep.

Alex walked up to the sofa quietly and gently took the book out of Piper's hand. She smiled down at her and made her move more to the side so she could lie down with her on her side. She put her hand on Piper's abdomen and kissed her cheek sweetly.

"Hi." She whispered with a big smile on her face and wiggled her eyebrows, making the woman next to her laugh.

"Hi." The blonde whispered back and threw her that toothy grin that Alex loved so much. "Why are we whispering? Are you afraid we're going to wake up one little girl?" She chuckled much louder and the brunette shushed her. "What did you expect, Al? Feeding a kid a tone of sweets and expect her to go to bed early?" She started laughing openly now when she noticed confused look on Alex's face. "Too much sugar, baby. You still need to learn a lot about kids, huh?"

The singer started to laugh as well when she understood her mistake. She chuckled some more before casting her eyes back down to Piper. There was a big smile on the blonde's lips and Alex wanted to kiss them so much. And kiss them she did. Gently and without rush. She wanted to savor their taste. Piper's left hand traveled to Alex's hair and she held her close. It had been years since she felt this good, this right about something.

Long minutes had passed before they finally separated and they were now just lying and staring into each other's eyes. Alex's warm hand somehow got under Piper's shirt again but this time she was in no hurry to take it away from there. She was drawing lazily little patterns with her fingertips and smiling down at the blonde. She was about to kiss her again when they heard Alex's phone going off. They ignored it for a moment but then it rang second time... and third...

"You better get that, Al. It might be Nicky." Piper whispered, her breath a little quickened after the make-out session.

Both Alex and Piper had tried calling Nicky and Lorna several times during the day but neither of them answered their phone. It got them a little worried but they didn't want to go to their friends' place in case they were just 'making up' and were too busy to bother with their mobiles.

Alex huffed a bit and got up from the sofa to pick up her phone and the blonde observed her with interest. The brunette's face was enlightened by a big grin when she saw her screen which only ensured Piper that it was Nicky indeed. Yet, the smile quickly disappeared from the singer's lips and was replaced by a frown.

"What is it?" Piper whispered as she sat up on the sofa.

Alex just continued to listen for a while, nodding more to herself than Nicky. "Okay, Nick. Do you want me to come over?" A few more seconds of silence. "I don't think she'll mind." This time she looked at Piper and the blonde only nodded that it would be alright if Alex went to her friend's place. "I'll be there soon, okay?" A few more nods, and 'okays' and the brunette ended the call. She sat down heavily next to Piper and put her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"Gotta go, huh?" Piper asked as she stroked Alex's hair, slowly untangling it with her fingers. She had always loved to do that. It was calming to both her and the brunette.

"Lorna went to her parents' house."

"Shit."

"Yep, not too good."

"Maybe let's visit her. Talk her into giving Nicky another chance. It can't just end like that." Piper sat up again and looked into Alex's eyes. She was deeply worried about their friends.

"Well, kid... I'm afraid that's not so easy. Her parents live in New York."

"Shit." Piper's eyebrows furrowed even more.

"Yeah. Shit indeed." Alex took a deep breath. She really needed to help Nicky figure this mess out. The last thing that she wanted was to see her best friend miserable.

"So... What do we do?" The blonde asked and for a minute Alex had no idea. But then, her face lighted up with a huge grin. "What?" Piper smiled too now. She knew that look.

"I've got it." Alex stood up and started to put her leather jacket on. "I'll go and see Nicky now but I won't be long." She came back to the sofa and pecked Piper's lips.

"And what do _I_ do?"

"You, my beautiful partner in crime, rest now. You'll need a lot of energy when I'm back." She winked at her and was out of the door before Piper could protest.


	13. Chapter 13

**_From the author:_**

 ** _I would like to apologize to all of you for such long silence. I would be surprised if any of you even remembered this story._ _Yet, I decided to come back. I can't promise that I will post very regularly, but I will try to do my best. I honestly intent to finish this fanfic._**

 ** _I would also like to say a big, big thank you to my wife who has been great support and the biggest fan and who kept encouraging me to come back to writing. Thank you baby for always being there for me, never pushing – just keeping me motivated. You are my world! Happy birthday, sweetheart! I hope you like your surprise. I love you!_**

– 13 –

Knocking on the door. Nothing. A little louder one… Still dead silence.

Alex let out a frustrated sigh and tried to call Nicky for the millionth time that day but it went straight to voicemail. The brunette didn't want to make a scene but judging from how the things were slowly starting to look, she had no other option but to start banging on the door until her crazy-haired friend decided to open it.

"Nicky, I know you're in there! Let me in, you asshole!" The singer was sure that her band mate must have been drunk already or stoned out of her mind. On the one hand, Alex understood that but on the other she was pissed off because it landed her ass on the corridor, looking like an idiot and risking other people living in the building seeing her. It's not that she actually cared what others thought about her but in this case she hoped to keep the whole drama low key. She didn't want her friend to be followed by some paparazzi. All the members of the band hated those harpies. Yes, they knew what being famous meant and what it all entailed but it didn't mean they had to like it. In the end, all they wanted was to make music and be able to make a living out of it. Fame was cool but they were no celebrities, just musicians.

It had been well over an hour since Alex left her hotel suite. She started to get more and more nervous by the minute because she didn't think such short time was enough for Nicky to get so hammered that she wasn't able to open the door. Had something happened? The brunette pushed the call button one more time but she stopped all the knocking and banging on the door. Now, she was heading towards the elevator in a rather fast pace. She figured it might be worth a try to ask somebody in the building lobby whether they could let her in somehow.

Luckily, Alex was right and soon the building manager was going up with her. He looked nervous doing that but at the same time it seemed that he didn't want to fail the singer. The brunette had sold him a story about a missing key. Officially, she was there to get Nicky's guitar without which their rehearsal would be a disaster.

"I will have to report this to our head of security, Ms Vause. I'm sorry but that's the procedure. I can do this only in urgent cases." He looked distressed. He was a nice guy but obviously he wasn't too keen on such requests out of the blue. "Probably, I shouldn't be doing this." His hand stopped right before the key was put in the hole but Alex flashed him her toothy grin and gently took the key from his hand.

"I'm sure Nicky is going to appreciate your help. Report this if you have to. No problem, sir." She quickly opened the door and shut it right in the man's face before he was able to utter another word. He looked as if he was about to get inside with her but he never had the chance. Alex was glad that instead of making a scene he decided to let it go and she soon heard his soft footsteps as he walked down the corridor back to the elevator.

The singer let out a long breath but her relief didn't last for long. She turned from the door and looked around the big living room area. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was quiet. Too quiet in fact.

"Nichols?" Nothing. "You there?" She asked again as she moved through the apartment while trying hard not to panic. It was highly unlikely that her friend would leave the apartment without telling Alex about it. After all, where would she go? She couldn't go to Lorna's place because the girl wasn't even in town anymore. If Nicky had gone to any of the other girls from the band, Alex would know about it as well. "Nicky, stop fucking with me." She called out but her voice instead of being threatening sounded scared and worried.

She saw that one door at the end of the long corridor were closed. They led to Nicky's bedroom. Alex jogged towards them and knocked. When nobody answered, she tried to push on the handle, hoping that they weren't locked. She was glad to realized that she was able to open them but once she did, the view that welcomed her made her blood freeze in her veins. Nicky was lying on the bed, out cold, and on the bedside table there were all the accessories that Alex hadn't seen in years now.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit…" She run to the bed and shook her friend's body. "Nicky, you fucking idiot." She whispered under her breath. Her hands were shaking and she could feel herself sweating. She didn't remember the last time she was so stressed out. "Nicky!" She shook her friend's head and she heard her mumbling something. "Oh thank God." Alex dropped Nicky's head back onto the pillow and started pacing around the room, trying to figure out what to do next. She knew that calling Red wasn't even an option. On the one hand, their manager should know about something like this, but on the other, Alex was sure that that would start a true shitstorm and at the moment she was hoping that this was a one time thing for Nicky. A little slip on her otherwise drug-free way.

"Fuck!" The brunette screamed at the ceiling, anger and frustration getting the best of her. She grabbed the rest of the drug and flushed it down the toilet and then she quickly returned to the bedroom. She took Nicky under her arms and dragged her into the shower. The girl was mumbling something all the time but Alex was unable to recognize a single word from that. She did clearly hear the first word that left Nicky's mouth right after a stream of ice-cold water hit her head.

"Fuck! What the fuck?!" She tried to get away from the cold but Alex's grip was too strong for her. Especially now when the drug was running in her system, taking all her power away from her. It took her a couple of minutes to stop fighting. The brunette was sure not letting go and after a few more tries at hitting Alex's arms, Nicky finally let herself be held. The singer closed the water tab now but her friend continued to sob and treble in her arms for quite a while before she slowly calmed down.

"I'm sorry." She whispered tiredly. They were both sitting on the shower floor now, Nicky leaning against Alex's shoulder. The brunette didn't know what to say. She was extremely angry at her best friend… and extremely scared. Not only of what could have happened to Nicky, but also of what she herself could have done if she hadn't had such a strong motivation to stay clean now. Alex hadn't seen any hard drugs in years, consciously avoiding them. Ever since her and Nicky's rehab, the brunette stayed cleared of any hard drugs and anyone who would still do them. She honestly thought that Nicky was clean as well. Obviously, she must have been wrong all this time and now she wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. She didn't want her friend to withdraw from her but at the same time she was angry. Oh, so angry.

"How long?" She whispered finally. She was glad that she managed to hide the anger and her voice was soft and not accusing. A simple, quiet question. She needed to know.

"It's the first time. I swear." Nicky started crying again and Alex couldn't help her own tears. She hugged the shorter girl tight.

"You fucking moron." She whispered hotly. "What the fuck were you thinking?!" Now her anger was clear but she refused to let her friend go from her arms. In fact, she tightened her grip.

"I just wanted the pain to go away." Nicky was tired. It was easy to hear it in her voice, it was easy to see it in her face. She was done and this fact scared Alex shitless.

"You listen to me, lady." The brunette looked Nicky in the eye. "You don't have to do this, OK? You've got me. You've got your friends. You open that damn mouth of yours and talk. You hear me?" Nicky just nodded her head but refused to meet Alex's sight. "Look at me." The brunette demanded finally and the shorter girl had to comply. "I mean it. You are not alone, Nick. Promise me, you won't do it again."

"I promise."

"Good." Alex started to get up and reached out her hand to help her friend get on her feet as well. "Move your ass, Nichols."

Nicky finally lifted herself up with Alex's help and soon followed her into the bedroom where the brunette had already started to change the bed sheets.

"What are you doing?" The guitarist asked in confusion but Alex just continued her work until she was done. She took a deep breath and patted the ready bed.

"There you go. All nice and clean. Your job is to get yourself together. Get some sleep and in the morning get something decent to eat. Make yourself look presentable and then we'll proceed with the plan."

"What plan?" Nicky's confusion only grew.

"My plan which means it's a good plan." Alex grinned widely at first but then her expression grew serious again. "Do you have any of that shit left in here?" She asked but there was no anger left in her anymore. She was honestly concerned about her best friend.

"No." A short, quiet answer met with still expectant eyes from Alex. "I mean it. That was all I had and apparently you flushed it down the toilet." A glare from Alex. "For which I am grateful." Nicky said only half mockingly as she bowed down before the brunette. "Seriously, kid. Go home, I'll be fine. Just tell me what's your plan about."

"We're going to New York." Alex simply stated.

"We? You want to go with me? What about Piper and Laura? You can't leave them here all alone."

"Oh, you got it wrong, Nichols. We, meaning me, you, the band and my girls."

"Your girls, huh?"

"Yep, you heard me right. They're going with us. We can all use a short trip."

"A short trip?" Nicky was still confused.

"Yes, we're just going to get your girl back." Alex grinned fully now.

XxXxX

Piper was lying on the sofa in the living room. She tried to fall asleep but she wasn't able to. Her mind was drifting back to Alex and Nicky, and Lorna. She was extremely worried about her friends.

 _Why does love always have to be so complicated?_

She kept tossing and turning until she heard someone put the key card in and enter the suite.

"Alex? Is that you?" She asked into the dark. The only light was coming from the TV that was on even though Piper didn't manage to watch anything. She saw a tall dark figure coming her way and soon there was the face that she loved so much. The blonde couldn't help a big smile. She felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach each time she saw her beautiful girlfriend and even though the situation wasn't anything she should be smiling about, she couldn't help feeling elated at seeing Alex again.

The brunette took off her shoes and dropped her bag on the floor right next to them. She was too tired to care about making a mess. She walked straight to the sofa and plopped down on it next to Piper who was now sitting up as well. Alex buried her face in the crook of the blonde's neck as her arm sneaked around her waist.

"It's good to be home." She whispered tiredly. She really was exhausted. It was the middle of the night now and the day was extremely tiring. She felt Piper's healthy arm go around her shoulders and hold her tight.

"Are you alright?" Piper just felt a light nodding of Alex's head. "Is Nicky okay?" A little pause but then another short nod.

"I'm falling asleep, baby. I'm so exhausted." The brunette said and all the struggle of the day was clearly visible on her tired features. "Can we just go to bed, please? I'll tell you all about the plan tomorrow, okay?"

When she heard about 'the plan', Piper immediately had million questions but then she saw how tired her girlfriend was and she decided that all the inquiries can wait till the morning. Obviously, Nicky must have been fairly alright if Alex was home and that was the most important. All the rest could easily be discussed the following day.

Before Piper could say anything, Alex got up and started undressing unceremoniously. She took off her tight black jeans and shirt which left her only in her panties and a pretty tight top. The blonde was mesmerized by the view in front of her. She really wanted to reach out and touch the milky skin, to feel how wonderfully soft it is, to feel the muscles flex underneath it. Yet, she stopped herself from doing anything silly. It wasn't the right time to let he urges come to the surface. Instead, she got up from the sofa and went to the bedroom to get Alex a fresh shirt that she could sleep in.

"Here. You'll be more comfortable in this." She said as she passed the shirt to Alex.

The brunette took it gladly and without thinking much took off her top… and bra and put the shirt on. Piper just stood there staring, mesmerized by the beauty in front of her. In fact, she wished she could admire Alex a little longer. The singer had caught her off guard and when Piper looked up from where the brunette's naked breasts were a second before, she saw a huge grin on Alex's face. Yet, she didn't want to give the taller girl the satisfaction so she just lifted the blanked and smiled at her.

"Jump in." Piper motioned towards the sofa. "You really look like you need a good rest."

Instead of making some smart-ass remark, Alex just did as she was told. The look on Piper's face was satisfactory enough. She lied down comfortably and moved a bit to her side to make bigger space for Piper. The blonde soon joined her on the sofa and snuggled closer to her.

"You okay there?" Alex asked with her eyes already closed. She wanted to make sure that Piper is as comfortable as possible, especially that she still had her plaster on the arm. They both hoped it soon would be gone but for now they still had to be careful about it.

Piper just nuzzled Alex's neck and smiled into her skin. "It's perfect." She whispered honestly. The brunette was all that she needed. Her warmth, her smell, her skin, her touch. She felt safe. She was home too.

XxXxX

Alex woke up with a start. She had a disturbing dream where she was back in rehab. She was locked in a room without windows and she was screaming her lungs out, feeling helpless. All the emotions, all the anger, and all the anxiety came back to her, making it hard to breathe. She needed a moment to calm her heart rate. It had been a really long time since she had had one of these disturbing dreams. Probably the events of the previous night made all the bad emotions come to the surface again. She was angry at Nicky, but she was also angry at herself for letting it all get to her head.

 _It's all behind you now. It's over. AND it's not coming back. Not now, not ever._

She took a deep breath… And then another one. She suddenly realized that something was not quite right.

 _Where is Piper?_

Alex was lying comfortably, having all the sofa to herself. The blonde was nowhere to be seen and the singer missed her presence immediately. She squeezed her eyes shut and took yet another deep breath.

 _We probably should talk to Laura really soon._

She got up from the sofa slowly and went to the bedroom. She opened its door, making sure to be as quiet as she possibly could in order not to wake up neither of her beloved blondes. Yes, Alex loved both of them. So much. She was way done pretending that she had no feelings for Piper anymore. And Laura? Who on earth wouldn't love that sweet little girl? Of course she got Alex's heart within days from meeting her the first time. Piper was an amazing mother and her offspring was an amazing little human being. Smart, sassy, ambitious and fun.

 _My two perfect blondes. Mine._

Alex grinned big time as she was standing there, leaning on the door frame and watching the two figures still asleep on the bed. The singer was slightly disappointed that she didn't get to wake up next to Piper that morning, but at the same time she understood why the blonde decided to join her daughter sometime during the night. She and Piper still had to talk to the little girl but Alex didn't want to be the one starting the conversation. That was Piper's call and in this case she would follow her lead.

"Hey, you little stalker." Alex heard a soft, still sleepy voice coming from the bed so she grinned even wider and walked up to Piper's side and sat down right next to her. She took the blonde's hand and kissed it tenderly.

"Good morning, my love." She smiled down at her. "How are we feeling this beautiful morning?" She asked warmly.

Piper stretched her healthy arm over her head and let a little purr leaver her lips before opening her eyes and looking back at Alex. "Mmm… I don't know about you but I feel splendid."

"Good." Alex took Piper's hand and kissed it again. At the same time she kept her eyes on Laura, making sure that the girl didn't wake up and see what they were doing. "Good, because we're about to pack."

"Pack?" This made Piper really open her eyes and she looked up at the brunette with surprise shining in her beautiful blue eyes.

"Yes, baby. Pack. We're going to New York." Alex grinned, happy that she managed to surprise her girlfriend. And judging from the big smile on her face, it was a good surprise. "Call Polly and tell her that we'll visit her. Maybe she and Pete could babysit Laura for one evening?"

"Of course. Why? What's on your mind?"

"Oh, I have a plan." Alex's grin only grew bigger as she wiggled her eyebrows.

XxXxX

Nicky was sitting next to the window. She had been awfully quiet the whole time and it bothered the rest of the band mates. They had never seen their friend so stressed out and so worried.

"It's going to be okay, Nick." Stella whispered in her ear. She, just like the rest of the group was concerned about the guitar player.

"What if she doesn't want to come?" The lion-haired girl asked.

"She is going to come there. Piper will make sure of that. And if not, we'll just abduct her. It's that simple." Poussey chuckled, which earned her a glare from Nicky. "Don't you worry, my friend. We'll be gentle with her. I promise!"

Nicky just ignored that last comment. She honestly was nervous about the whole plan. Alex was adamant that it was the only thing to do. Nothing else would work except this so if Nicky really wanted Lorna back, she had to suck it up and follow with the plan. The song was ready. Their old bar, Murphy's, was ready. Hell, even Red knew about everything and in fact she was the one who was able to organize it all so fast. They were to fly in to New York and make a surprise appearance in their old bar, where they all used to hang out in the days before any of them was famous. Red made it look as if it was really just a promotion little gig. The trick was to lure Lorna to come there, too, and that was Piper's job. As the time passed by, she and Lorna had grown closer and it was Piper's calls that Lorna would pick up now. She avoided the rest of the group really. So… the blonde had told her she was in town to visit her parents but knowing their complicated situation, she could use a night out in town and since Polly was on a business trip (a blatant lie, since Polly was looking after Laura that night), Lorna was her only savior. All in all, the short brunette had no other choice but to accept the invitation for a drink. Simple, easy, this just had to work.

"But what if she doesn't come?" Nicky asked in frustration. She was angry at her own stupidity. She looked at her friends with stern eyes. "And no, you are not allowed to abduct her. I appreciate the effort, but… NO." This made everybody laugh a bit.

"Listen, everything is going to be alright. She is coming to the bar. I'll personally pick her up. I don't think she suspects anything, especially not that soon and I do really have a good cover story." Piper put her arm around Nicky. "Just take a breath, try to get a little nap. You'll need all the energy soon. Look at that little one." She pointed at Laura who was sleeping in her chair. "Take example and rest." She smiled at her friend.

Nicky just huffed and refused to go to sleep. She was too worried, excited and scared all at once. _Let's hope you're right Chapman._

XxXxX

The bar was full of people. Apparently, Red did a great job in that field as well. Was it a gossip on one of the fan message boards? Did she whisper here and there? Of course she did. Alex and The Gang were sure about that. Especially that some of the people there had posters or t-shirts with the band's logo. That couldn't be a coincidence.

Alex and the girls were still in the back room but they could hear how busy the bar was. Piper and Lorna were on their way and the news that the small brunette was actually coming made Nicky all giddy and excited… and nervous. Her hands were shaking a little and her voice didn't sound as sure as it normally would.

"You okay there, kid?" Alex asked. "You look a little pale." She chuckled.

"Just wait and see how you're gonna look when you're about to propose." Nicky stuck her tongue at Alex.

"Well, I sure as hell won't look like a stray cat that's about to puke its guts out." The brunette sniggered but then she patted Nicky on her back in a reassuring manner. "This is going to be perfect. You'll see."

"Yeah, we'll see…"

The bar was getting more and more crowded and soon no more people were allowed in. The ones left standing outside the venue didn't look too happy about the whole situation but they couldn't do anything about it anymore. Alex texted Piper to make sure that she and Laura actually got in before the door got closed for newcomers. When she had a text back that yes, indeed they were inside, Alex gave a signal to the band that it was time to go on the little stage. They stepped out after having been introduced by Lenny, the bar owner and a dear friend to all of them, and the people went simply ballistic. It's a really rare thing to see their favorite musicians in such an awesome small venue.

Piper and Lorna were sitting at the back of the room by a small table. They had their drinks and were just talking quietly when it got much darker in the bar and Lenny started to introduce their special guest. When Lorna realized what was going on, she glared at Piper who managed to just whisper "Sorry. I had to" before the first sounds of one of the band's biggest hit rung out in the room. As expected, the crowd went crazy and the people continued to dance and sing along to several more songs. Lorna sat throughout the whole performance and only her eyes showed how very emotional it was for her. She couldn't take her eyes off of Nicky. Piper, on the other hand, had a problem focusing on anything else except Alex. The way she played on her guitar, the way she moved and sang. The way she interacted with their fans. Everybody in the room was in love with her and Piper felt a nice, warm pride, that that woman was hers and hers only.

Suddenly, the music went down and the room got dark again. The only person who was standing in a ray of light was Nicky, who of course had to look like a little goof that she was, holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the light and whispering a few "fucks" loud enough for everybody to hear. Lorna giggled nervously. She didn't know what was going on and she looked at Piper to find the answers but the blonde only motioned for her to keep watching the stage.

Nicky was standing in the place which was normally reserved for Alex, the microphone right in front of her face, her guitar still in her hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have a little message for someone special." She cleared her throat. "But instead of standing here, feeling weird, I'd rather be standing here and singing… feeling weird." That evoked a few laughs from the crowd.

Nicky turned around to the band to make sure everybody was ready for their last final song. And ready they were. After a moment the room got flooded with the sounds of a song that nobody had heard before. This time the crowd, instead of jumping and singing with the band, stood still despite the song being upbeat. Everybody felt that this was more than just a new piece. Nicky was intently looking at one person only and Lorna could feel her cheeks getting hot when she heard the words of the lyrics.

 _It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do  
Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you  
Is it the look in your eyes, or is it this dancing juice  
Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you_

 _Well I know this little chapel on the boulevard  
We can go  
No one will know  
Oh c'mon girl_

 _Who cares if we're trashed  
Got a pocket full of cash we can blow  
Shots of Patron  
And it's on girl_

 _Don't say no no no no no  
Just say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah  
And we'll go go go go go  
If you're ready, like I'm ready_

 _'Cause it's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do  
Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you  
Is it the look in your eyes or is it this dancing juice  
Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you_

Lorna had tears in her eyes. She turned around to Piper.

"Is she for real?" She asked in astonishment. It was clear that she was shocked, bewildered even… and extremely happy. Piper couldn't help but laugh at her friend's reaction. She was truly excited for both of them. Judging from Lorna's reaction, it was all going to be ok. More than ok! It was going to be freaking awesome.

And she was completely right about that. Just when the song was about to end Lorna couldn't take it anymore and she pushed through the crowd towards the stage, Piper close behind her. The short brunette stepped on the stage and kissed Nicky before she even had the change to sing the last notes and the whole crowd started to cheer like crazy.

"I'm sorry." Nicky whispered when she finally could hold her close.

"It's okay, baby." Lorna grinned widely.

"Will you marry me?" Nicky wanted to make sure that her message was loud and clear.

"Yes!" The short Brunette squealed. "A thousand times yes!"

XxXxX

The rest of the party went equally well. Nicky and Lorna disappeared soon after drinking a few shots with the band but the rest of the girls continued to have fun as the night went by. They did have something to celebrate after all. Even Red stayed longer than usual. She was extremely happy for Nicky, whom she treated like her own daughter.

Piper was waiting by the bar to get her and Alex something to drink that wouldn't contain alcohol. She herself didn't drink at all actually but Alex did have quite a few shots with the girls and she finally decided that enough was enough.

"Hey, beautiful." The blonde heard familiar husky voice right beside her ear and she smiled. "Do you wanna dance?" The question made her smile even bigger.

"Babe, there's no music in here. And it's too crowded. Nobody's dancing." Piper chuckled at her girlfriend.

"True." Alex traced her fingertips over Piper's bare arm. "Which makes this a boring party. Why don't we get away from here?" She wiggled her eyebrows at the blonde.

Piper looked at her watch. "Yeah, it's getting late. We should probably get back to Polly's. She's spent enough time with Laura. She probably needs a break."

This statement just made Alex chuckle some more. "I was thinking rather getting away from here and going to our nice, quiet, posh hotel room. Hmmm?"

"Hotel room? What are you talking about. That wasn't the plan."

"Well, what if I changed the plan a bit?" Alex grinned. "Don't worry. I've talked to Polly. She'll look after Laura for us." She looked into Piper's eyes and the blonde grinned right back at her.

"Okay. Let's get away from here." She whispered into Alex's ear. "Now." She kissed the corner of her mouth.

 _Disclaimer:_

 _The song quoted in this chapter is not mine. It's Bruno Mars and his "Marry You"._


End file.
